The first of 11 residential plots in the Olympic Village has been structurally completed, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today.
The Olympic Village, which lies adjacent to the Olympic Park and forms part of the Stratford City development, will accommodate a total of 23,000 athletes and officials from over 200 nations during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Seventy-three per cent of athletes will be able to reach their competition venue in under 15 minutes. After the Games, the Village will deliver the legacy of 2,800 new homes for east London across 11 residential plots. Construction work began on site in summer 2008 and the first residential plot, comprising nearly 300 new homes across 7 buildings, is now structurally complete.
The construction of the first residential plot has involved 160 workers and a total of seven cranes lifting into place more than 14,500 cubic metres of concrete to form the structural elements of the seven buildings. Work is now underway on the external cladding of the buildings, allowing work on the internal fit-out of the buildings to begin next year. The external cladding panels for the building are now being lifted into place with the heaviest panels weighing up to six tonnes.
A topping-out ceremony on the first structurally complete Village buildings was carried out today by, ODA Director of Property Ralph Luck, Chief Executive of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) Paul Deighton, CEO of Lend Lease Europe Dan Labbad and Mayor of Newham Council Sir Robin Wales and directors of Triathlon Homes.
ODA Director of Property Ralph Luck: 'In 1,000 days time the world’s best athletes will have arrived at the Olympic Village, and with the structural completion of the first buildings we are on track to deliver a first-class Village to help them prepare for the world’s biggest sporting event. The Olympic Village will be one of the strongest legacies from the Games and the completion of these buildings also gives us an exciting glimpse of the quality new homes we are delivering for Londoners together with new parks, public squares and community facilities.'
Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) said: 'Sport is at the heart of the Games and therefore athletes’ needs are very important to us. We want to make sure that they are in a comfortable, relaxed and well-organised environment so that they can prepare for one of the biggest sporting moments of their lives.'
Mayor of Newham Council Sir Robin Wales said: 'We want the Games to inspire local people to lead healthier and more active and prosperous lives. The Olympics must bring long-lasting and positive changes for the residents of the borough. One of my key priorities is to ensure the local community will benefit from the venues, parklands and other facilities once the Games are over. The housing offer is crucial to this – the most successful communities are those mixed by class, ethnicity and tenure and this is what we are looking forward to seeing in the Village.'
Dan Labbad, CEO of Lend Lease Europe, the development and construction manager for the Village, said: 'We’re delighted to be revealing the first complete structures of the Village, demonstrating the substantial progress being made on site. We remain committed to delivering a world class development of high architectural quality, both as a home for athletes in 2012 and as an iconic sustainable community beyond.'
Of the new homes on the first structurally completed residential plot, 193 have already been pre-sold to Triathlon Homes, the joint venture company delivering affordable housing at the Village. They are among 1,379 affordable homes that will be offered at the Village through a variety of renting and home ownership options.
Geoff Pearce, director of Triathlon Homes, said: 'This is a real landmark in the development of nearly 1,400 affordable homes at the Olympic Village, helping to meet housing need in east London and contributing to the wider regeneration of the area. We’re very proud to be delivering a variety of affordable homes in a fantastic setting as part of this prestigious development.'
The 11 residential plots in the Olympic Village are each made up of six to eight buildings built in a rectangular layout around a traditional courtyard area. Along with the structural completion of the first residential plot, construction work is also underway on the remaining 10 residential plots. Earthworks are also underway on the site of Chobham Academy - a world-class education campus to be built within the Olympic Village with spaces for 1,800 students aged 3-19.
After 2012, the Village will leave a lasting legacy for east London including:
New Homes for Londoners
- 2,818 new homes in legacy including 1,379 affordable homes;
- Family housing with nearly 1,000 three and four bed homes.
New parklands, courtyards and open space
- Courtyard areas with gardens, play areas and open space;
- More than 10 hectares of new parks and open space;
- New public squares, tree-lined streets, and landscaped courtyards.
Education and community facilities
- Multi-use community facilities;
- A world-class education campus, Chobham Academy, with 1,800 places for students aged 3-19.
Triathlon Homes (a joint venture company established by First Base and housing associations Southern Housing Group and East Thames Group) have purchased 1,379 of the new homes in the Olympic Village which will become available as affordable housing after 2012. The aim is to create affordable, high quality homes for local people which are intrinsic to the regeneration of the area and to ensure a successful legacy for Stratford and the wider East London community after the Games.
Notes to editors:
1. Photos of the visit to the first residential plot and the latest photos of construction work on the Olympic Village site can be downloaded from:
http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr1298454832. Design images of the Olympic Village can be downloaded from:
http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr1261380363. The two Olympic Village webcams can be viewed at
http://www.london2012.com/plans/olympic-park/webcams/index.php4. Lend Lease is the development and construction manager for the Athletes’ Village.
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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700 or visit the website at www.london2012.com.
The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.
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