Olympic media centre starts early

Building work has started a month ahead of schedule on the Olympic media centre where Carillion is the main contractor.

Work on the foundations is underway with construction now started on all the 'big five' venues - the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Village, Velodrome and media centre.

Construction currently involves sinking 2,100 concrete piles up to 24m into the ground to form the foundations of the International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre.

The media centre will support around 20,000 broadcasters, photographers and journalists communicating the Games to an audience of four billion people worldwide.

This summer work will start on the steel frame of the IBC, which is 275m long, 104m wide, 21m tall and big enough to house five jumbo jets. Over 4,500 tonnes of steel with trusses up to 24m long are being produced and fabricated for the IBC in Dalton, North Yorkshire. Work is also underway on the media transport mall and the foundations of the MPC are due to start this month.

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: "The ‘big build’ is right on track as we make steady progress on the venues and infrastructure needed both for the London 2012 Games and the regeneration of this part of east London.

"The Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre and Olympic Village are already taking shape against the skyline and building started earlier this year on the Velodrome. With the start of construction of the IBC/MPC all of the ‘big five’ venues on the Olympic Park are now underway.

"The IBC/MPC will provide a quality working environment for media during the Games while delivering flexible employment space for a range of potential legacy tenants and users."

Current State of Olympic Construction

Olympic Stadium

Construction started just 11 months ago and work is well underway on the roof as the 53m high Olympic Stadium takes shape in the east London skyline. Eight of the 30m-long steel sections of the roof compression truss have been lifted into place
Over 4,000 concrete columns have been sunk into the ground to form the foundations
Work is also progressing to install the 40m-long steel terracing supports, known as rakers, to hold the 55,000 seats in the upper tiers.
Concrete rakers and 12,000 pre-cast concrete terracing units will make up the lower bowl which holds the 25,000 permanent seats within the Stadium.
The first of five bridges on to the 40 acre Stadium island has been lifted into place.
 

Aquatics Centre

Construction started two months ahead of schedule last summer and work is underway on the wave-shape roof, one of the most complex construction and engineering challenges on the Olympic Park.
Over 1,400 concrete columns have been sunk into the ground to form the foundations of the legacy building and Games time temporary seating.
The first section of the 2,800-tonne steel roof is being lifted into place and connected together 20m off the ground on three rows of temporary support trestles.
When complete the 160m long column-free and up to 90m wide roof will be lifted up to two metres, the temporary trestles removed, and the frame  rested into place on two concrete supports at the northern end and a 28m long and 5m wide, supporting ‘wall’ at its southern end.
The huge completed southern roof support is 9m high, 28m long, over 5m wide and was built using 850m³ of concrete.
The north-east roof supports have reached 12m and are currently being completed.
 

Olympic Village

Construction started less than a year ago and buildings are coming out of the ground.
More than 2,400 concrete columns have been installed to complete the foundations of four residential blocks.
Construction work is underway on the third-floor levels of the first residential block and structural work has started on the ground-floor levels of two further residential blocks
Infrastructure works have been completed on a concrete tunnel covering half a mile of railway line, allowing access across the Village site from north to south.
Work is already underway to install new electricity, gas, water, drainage and district heating services between the sites of the new housing blocks.
 

Velodrome

Construction started on track last month on the foundations of the Velodrome.
Work is underway installing over 900 concrete columns to form the foundations of the venue which is being built on the site of the former West Ham tip.
 

IBC/MPC

The IBC/MPC combines an innovative mixture of permanent and temporary elements during the Games and has been designed to be as flexible as possible to accommodate a range of potential legacy tenants and uses. The London Development Agency is leading the legacy planning.

A planning application for the foundations has been granted and an application submitted for the detailed design of the IBC/MPC and media transport mall. Construction is underway on the foundations of the IBC and media transport mall on the 370,000 sq m site.