london 2012
Olympic media centre wins planning
The Olympic Delivery Authority has won planning permission for the International Broadcast Centre and main press centre on the Olympic Park site in Stratford, after last-minute alterations were made to the designs.
RPS' designs for the IBC building attracted particularly strong criticism from potential legacy users and Cabe, prompting a review and the appointment of original architect Allies & Morrison to advise RPS.
The 60,000sq m IBC (pictured above), which was originally envisaged as a permanent building, has been granted permission as a temporary building with a 30 year life span.
Further applications will need to be submitted for the legacy use of the building after the 2012 games if it is to be retained.
Meanwhile, the permanent 29,000sq m MPC building (pictured below) by Allies & Morrison will now feature small coloured panels to break up the bulky appearance of the building and a new emphasised entrance.
Other temporary elements granted permission include a 12,000sq m catering village, a 200 metre high street connecting the buildings and a media conference room between the two buildings for 800 journalists.
Construction has already begun on the 370,000sq m complex, which was subject to a £25 million budget cut in January last year.
Last night’s decision to grant planning comes in the same week as a £100 m black hole in the Olympics accounts of the London Development Agency was revealed. Two members of the LDA’s senior staff have been suspended pending an independent investigation into the whereabouts of the missing money. There is currently no evidence of wrongdoing.
Postscript:
Full coverage of the Olympic media centre saga
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Readers' comments (4)
Mike | 24 June 2009 10:52 pm
Wow, just 100M? Does this now mean Bisley will be the preferred site for all shooting events during the Olympic games? This will only produce a £40M saving, but it’s a start? How’s that for a good idea, and it cost nothing! Why do I think Bisley will be still be ignored?
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Ross | 25 June 2009 1:27 pm
This project looks like the kind of low end semi industrial property demolished to make way for the olympics. Printing money.
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Richard L | 25 June 2009 3:19 pm
And who is going to advise Allies and Morrison on their design for the Main Press Centre? Even with the flashy render it looks like a bad 60's office block. Maybe someone should buy them some multicoloured flags too.
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chi | 25 June 2009 3:25 pm
shamful - dreadful - ugly are the only words that comes to my mind. we were the first ones to criticise the chinese about their stadium and other venues, but with this kind of architecture we are setting a very good example for the past and the future for the most mediocre and hedious proposals. well done Allies and Morrison - one more building of yours for a carbuncle cup.....
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