Olympic VeloPark to Live on Well After 2012

Olympic VeloPark to Live on Well After 2012

The VeloPark to be based in the north of the Olympic Park, will include a 6,000 seat Velodrome to host the Olympic and Paralympic indoor track cycling events as well as a BMX circuit for Olympic events (below).


Interior of the proposed VeloPark.
After the Games, the BMX circuit will be repositioned next to the Velodrome with a road cycle circuit and mountain bike course added to create a legacy VeloPark that will combine cycling facilities across all disciplines in one cycling ‘hub’, linked into cycle routes across London.

The design competition was judged by leading names from the world of architecture and design as well as Olympic Gold medal-winning cyclist Chris Hoy.

The winning design consortium is made up of:

-Hopkins Architects
-Expedition Engineering
-BDSP
-Grant Associates

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) also released very early concept images to demonstrate the design team’s vision behind the winning bid. More detailed work will now be carried out with the ODA over the coming months.

Jennie Price, Chief Executive of Sport England said:

“The huge crowds watching the Tour de France in London show that there is a real appetite for cycling in this country. At Sport England, we want to build on this enthusiasm by turning spectators into participants so last weeks announcement on the Velodrome is very welcome.

“We are delighted to be working with the appointed design team and the ODA to deliver an Olympic venue we can be proud of. We also need to make sure the Velodrome is used after 2012 to get local communities involved in cycling.”

David Higgins, Chief Executive of the ODA said:

“The winning team impressed the design jury with their understanding of the need to plan Games and legacy together. Their vision supported our desire for a Velodrome that sits within a comprehensive VeloPark with a wide range of cycling facilities for people of all abilities – beginner to elite.

“Between them the design team have a strong track record in designing innovative and creative projects. I am confident that they can help create both a world-class stage for the best athletes in the world and leave a lasting legacy for cyclists of all ages and abilities for many years to come.”

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee, said:

“I am delighted to be announcing the design team for one of the key venues in the Olympic Park. This is on the back of a fantastic weekend for cycling in this country with the staging of the Tour de France. This showed how London is the world capital of sport and our capacity to stage world sporting events. It also showed the passion of Londoners for world class sport and the enthusiasm for cycling in the capital and throughout the UK.

“The VeloPark will contain brand new, state of the art facilities for road cycling, bmx, and mountain biking, be a great venue for the Games and leave a permanent cycling legacy in the capital.”

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said:

“I am delighted with the appointment of this experienced team who have an impressive track record. I am sure they will produce not only a world class venue for the Games, but also a lasting legacy for a training and competition centre for cycling and a venue that will be equally inviting to the local community.

“Good design is not an optional extra: it is fundamental to everything we build for the Games and I am determined to ensure that it is embedded in every project from inception to completion.”

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said:

“Cycling has never been so popular in the capital and after last weekend, when millions packed into London's streets to watch the spectacle of the Tour de France, we can be assured that the VeloPark will be a magnet for spectators both during the 2012 Games and long after.

“We look forward to seeing a world class VeloPark which will host major competitions that both inspire our future cycling champions and attract many more people to take up and enjoy the pleasure and benefits of cycling.”

Chris Hoy, Olympic cycling champion and member of the Design Jury, said:

“Having competed in cycling venues around the globe, I understand the importance of world-class design in Olympic venues so I was delighted to be involved in judging the VeloPark design entrants.

“I was hugely impressed by the winning team’s ideas, not only because they recognised and understood the needs of elite athletes but also because of their exciting visions for the venue and the legacy thereafter which will help inspire a new generation of cycling champions.”

Mike Taylor, a Director of Hopkins Architects said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have been selected to design the VeloPark. The design competition was a great team effort, against formidable opposition.

“We are particularly honored because the scale and prominence of the Velodrome will make it a defining image of the Olympic Park and a place where we hope world records will be broken. Our vision for the project is one where both beginners and elite athletes will be equally at home and where everyone will be encouraged to participate and excel.”

Peter King, Chief Executive, British Cycling said:

"I was impressed by the range, vision and quality of the tenders submitted and particularly impressed with the understanding that the winning team had developed of the challenges to be faced in addressing the issues of legacy. Their concept for the Velodrome is outstanding and looks entirely practical, both in Olympic mode and as the heart of the legacy VeloPark.

“We are ready to start work with the team on the details of the Velodrome and the BMX tracks for the Olympics and on the plans to create other world-class legacy facilities in the Olympic Park for cycling user groups and the local community to use.

“These are exciting times for cycling and we look forward to being an active part of the process to ensure both the very best Olympic facilities for our sport and a full legacy for all aspects of cycling in this unique inner city setting."

Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive for the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority said:

“This team demonstrated the best understanding of the operational needs of the facility as well as inspiring design techniques. This is a winning formula which will create what will be a world class cycling facility that will hopefully help us hit gold in 2012 and in legacy inspire a new generation of cyclists of all ages and abilities.”

There will now be around 10 months for the outline design phase followed by nine months of detailed design development, before construction work starts in the spring of 2009.

The VeloPark will be completed in time for test events to take place in the summer of 2011. Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will own and operate the VeloPark in legacy.

In addition to the facilities that will remain in the VeloPark beyond 2012, the London Development Agency (LDA) are investing £5m in a new permanent road cycle circuit and mountain bike course at Hog Hill, Redbridge and will be funding the facility up to the completion of the legacy VeloPark. Work is underway to identify an operator of Hog Hill beyond 2012.