67 replies to this topic

[cube]

the old design is amazing

the new design is still cool, but with the old design in my mind....................

[its a bid of magic]

It's okay, but what's with the scafolding left on the outside of it? It would look better without that. Of course the Old design looks better, but things that cost alot more, generally do. lol

[Sir Rols]

Maybe I'm the only one, but I actually like the new design better.
Whatever the preference, both designs are beautiful and graceful, and if they can save money, of course they shouold go for the cheaper one.

[arwebb]

Exactly.

[Rafa]

i love the scaffolding...its a contrast to the symmetry and was always a part of the design, its there to support the temporary seats and i think its fantastic, it gives the aquatic centre an outdoorsy feel yet maintaining the indoor feel around the competition pools

[The Tower Bridge Fox]

I Like the new design, it looks like a fish in motion,or the wake from a boat


Its very aquatic.

The Tower Bridge Fox, on Nov 27 2006, 10:59 PM, said:

I Like the new design, it looks like a fish in motion,or the wake from a boat
Its very aquatic.

Its works better from different angles,
Very streamline

[adriane17]

i like the design and thank god london will have one new iconic venue designed by a world class architect. would have prefered the original - but there you go!

my main problem with this is that there is no overall architect in charge of the vision for the olympic park - instead you have a bunch of architectural practices (Foreign Office etc) fighting it out. also the main stadium really worries me. IMO the architects HOK just churn out bog standard stadia (such as the sydney stadium - sorry all you sydneysiders!). london will not get a calatrava or a herzog and meuron extravaganza! a lost chance if you ask me!

you can't do the olympics on the cheap - it costs money! i really feel that what we will get is a dumbed down olympic park with no aesthetics - just because its cheaper and less risky. i honestly feel that what will be delivered will be akin to an out of town retail park - which will be a lost opportunity for East London and the nation alike.

i read the other day that they ran an international competition for the velodrome only to tell the winning architect that the design was no longer needed as the cost was too high! so what will we get some sort of indutrial air craft hanger type thingy?

it's just symptomatic of governmental attitudes to design in the uk - ie the cheaper the better! this has been the same for every government since the war!

i understand that costs need to be kept in check - it is just a little dissappointing from an architectural point of view!

[RobH]

I always quite liked Sydney's stadium. I think, although it may not be to everyone's taste, London's park will be much closer to Sydney's than Athens' in design. I don't mind that - I always thought that, despite the nice architecture, Athens looked like a building site with no greenery.

I think if the Aquatics centre is anything to go by, we'll be alright. Having said that, the Olympic Park has a lot to live up to if it is going to match the existing venues - Wembley (the football finals stadium will inevitably dwarf the centrepiece Olympic stadium, which is slightly odd), Wimbledon, the Dome, Lords etc.

I think the biggest problem, therefore, will be creating a sense that the Games is "as one" and not split between a functional Olympic park built out of necessity and grand old venues dripping with history and sporting tradition.

[Rafa]

Zaha, caught out as Aquatic Centre design original found

[Mainad]

BBC story on the revised design for the Aquatics Centre:

Quote

London scales down 2012 pool plan

The London 2012 Olympics aquatics centre will be smaller than originally planned in order to save costs.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell sent the designer "back to the drawing board" last December as the original £75m budget looked set to double.

The wave-shaped roof will now be 14,000 square feet, which is just over a third of the original 35,000 square feet.

The original capacity of 20,000 seats will remain with 15,000 for the main pool and 5,000 for the diving pool.

Olympics chiefs say the final cost cannot be revealed at the moment due to commercial sensitivities.

London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said: "We are on schedule to deliver this landmark venue and as Tessa said last week the budget for the design and construction of all the venues are broadly in line with the out-turn costs prepared.

This will provide both a functional and beautiful venue for the Games

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell: "We hope people will understand that we cannot put these figures in to the public domain at this stage as negotiations with design and construction companies are either under way or about to begin."

The aquatics centre is the first major venue to go to the detailed design stage and contractors are already working on the site to prepare the land for construction to start in mid-2008.

The venue is due to be completed in the summer of 2011 and will have two 50-metre pools, one for training and one for competition, plus a diving pool.

During the Olympics and Paralympics it will host all the swimming and diving events apart from water polo, and after the Games it will be converted into a 2,500-seat complex with the potential to add in a further 1,000 temporary seats for European events.

Jowell said in a statement that the design, by architect Zaha Hadid, was "inspirational".

She said: "This will provide both a functional and beautiful venue for the Games, a legacy for the local community and will, no doubt, in time become a distinctive landmark in the Olympic Park."

London mayor Ken Livingstone added: "Zaha and her team have carefully recrafted their original concept and produced a truly world class aquatics centre design."

I guess it makes a nice change to hear of an example where Jowell and co are endeavouring to save money!

The trick,of course,will be to stage the Olympics as cheaply as possible without ever making them look cheap!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_spor...012/6187774.stm