It's On To Rio 2016 For London 2012 Architects

Bill Hanway, executive director of operations for the firm Aecom, worked on the London bid from 2003. In Brazil this week Hanway said, "the London project was a huge part of my life for so many years. It was a challenging site as it was contaminated and needed to be cleared before we could even begin the building work.

He called the challenges in Rio different, saying "the site is a former Formula 1 racetrack and isn't contaminated, but we have other challenges with things like the transport hub and how we deal with the legacy of the 2016 Games".

Plans released this week by Aecom reportedly show how the 300-acre site in the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood will be turned into a waterside triangular-shaped park with 34 venues for the Olympics and Paralympics.

The Olympic stadium will not be based in the park itself as it was at the London Games, but at the famous football stadium, the Maracana.

According to the Standard, a winding Olympic Way through the main park is designed to reflect the twists and turns of Brazilian rivers.

Organizers hope the 2016 Games will be dubbed the "Green Games" because of the eco-projects and building designs.

Hanway said, "Rio is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and this is an incredible site, with lush greenery and mountains and water surrounding it. The challenge now is to make it as successful as London".