Sunday 2nd October 2011

Media release

London 2012 Velodrome rides off with prestigious RIBA for architecture

The 2012 Velodrome was last night awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize, the UK's most prestigious architecture award given to the best new European building built or designed in Britain.

The 6,000 seat Velodrome will host the Olympic and Paralympic track cycling events in 2012. After the Games, the legacy Velodrome will be used by elite athletes and the local community and will include a café, bike hire and cycle workshop facilities.

The Velodrome was the first Olympic Park venue completed by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) in February 2011. The venue design team is made up of Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, and BDSP who were appointed in 2007 following a design competition judged by leading names from the world of architecture and design as well as Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy. The Velodrome was built by contractor ISG.

The Velodrome beat strong competition from five other buildings (see Notes to Editors) to be crowned 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize winner at an awards ceremony last night, held at the Magna Science & Adventure Centre in Rotherham, winner of the 2001 Stirling Prize.

ODA Chairman John Armitt said: “This is a tremendous achievement for a venue that combines innovative architecture, engineering and construction into a stunning and sustainable building. Along with its striking design, the Velodrome also places sport at its heart, creating a world-class facility for the Games and for a new generation of cyclists to train and compete on in future. This is a proud moment for everyone involved in the Olympic Park and welcome recognition that the project is transforming the skyline of east London with landmark new buildings for people to enjoy for decades to come.”

Mike Taylor, Senior Partner of Hopkins Architects and lead architect on the Velodrome said: "We set out to design a velodrome as elegant and efficient as a bicycle; to create a piece of architecture Great Britain can be proud of during London 2012 and beyond. So we are absolutely delighted to have won this award which is a fitting tribute to a brilliant project team and demonstrates what can be achieved when architect, engineer, contractor and client all work together as one. This is the first time we have won the Stirling Prize so it is also a special moment for everyone at Hopkins Architects. We hope it will achieve our aim of becoming an inspirational venue for many future generations of cyclists."

Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “Ever since the start of our bid, London 2012’s vision has been to use the power of the Games to inspire change, alongside delivering an athlete centred Games. The design and construction teams have used the inspiration of this once in a lifetime event to create this magnificent venue, and the Stirling Prize is a great acknowledgement of their skill and craftsmanship. As the London Organising Committee continues to prepare for Olympic and Paralympic Track Cycling competitions next summer, we can be absolutely confident that this venue will both showcase and facilitate the world’s best performances from the world’s best riders next summer, before serving the community in legacy.”

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, said: “This is an outstanding achievement and all those involved, from the design to the construction, should be rightly proud. The Velodrome was up against strong competition and to be awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize is proof that it is a truly remarkable building. The venue has been designed with both the competing cyclists and the crowd at the forefront of the planning with the aim of setting world records and creating an unforgettable atmosphere. I hope that the Team GB cycling will be able to match the success of the venue itself next summer.”

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Not only does the Velodrome represent a fantastic investment in sport, it's a world class achievement in British architecture and design. Its distinctive sweeping roof is already a new icon for London which has transformed the landscape of Stratford. I congratulate everyone involved in its innovative design for being honoured with such a well-deserved accolade."

Shaun Dawson, chief executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA)which will own and run the Velodrome after the Games said: “Mike Taylor and his team at Hopkins Architects have created an inspirational, stunning venue and it is truly fitting that their work has been recognised. The success of the Velodrome is also down to the immense team work between the Authority and organisations such as Hopkins, the Olympic Delivery Authority, Sport England and British Cycling. The team of outstanding individuals from across these organisations have shown vision, skill and great professionalism to create an incredibly magnificent venue that will have a lasting legacy for cyclists at all levels.

“The Park Authority has been involved since the project was conceived as part of the Olympic bid process and the Velodrome is everything we hoped and planned it would be. It’ll be a proud moment to see the Olympic events take place but, equally, it will be hugely satisfying to see the Velodrome and the whole Lee Valley VeloPark working in legacy with the Velodrome, BMX circuit, road and mountain bike trails being used by thousands of cyclists.”

Velodrome fact file:

Velodrome facilities: - 250m UCI (International Cycling Union) approved indoor track - 6,000 seats and 360 degree concourse in legacy for viewing all cycling activities - Legacy café, changing rooms, cycle workshop, & storage for over 300 bikes with a legacy bike hire outlet for families to hire bikes to use the new cycling facilities - Venue will be linked into cycle routes across London

Cycling legacy: - After the Games, a road cycle circuit and mountain bike course will be added to the Velodrome and BMX circuit to create the Lee Valley VeloPark, combining cycling facilities across all disciplines in one cycling ‘hub’ - The legacy VeloPark will be owned and operated by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Games-time: - There will be 10 gold medals to be won in the London 2012 Velodrome, five for men and five for women. - There will be five events for men and five for women: Sprint, Team Sprint, Keirin, Team Pursuit, and The Omnium - 188 riders will compete in London 2012 - The track cycling competition will take place over six days in London 2012

Velodrome design: - Distinct Velodrome roof designed to reflect the geometry of the cycling track, using a very lightweight double curving cable net structure - The 6,000 seats are split into a lower and upper tier, allowing a 360 degrees concourse level in between with a continuous ribbon of full height windows - The 360 degree glazed concourse level in legacy will offer spectators inside the Velodrome views out onto the rest of the Olympic Park and across the London skyline, while allowing people outside of the Velodrome views into the venue and down onto the cycling track

Construction: - The Velodrome was constructed over a period of 23 months with up to 450 workers on site at the peak of construction and 2,500 workers involved through the course of the project - Some 48,000 cubic metres of material was excavated to create the bowl for the Velodrome, enough to fill 19 Olympic-sized swimming pools - 2,500 sections of steelwork were installed to form the Velodrome structure, rising in height by 12 metres from the shallowest point to the highest part of the structure - The cable-net roof lift took eight weeks to complete and features some 16km of cabling, covering an area of 12,000m2 - The striking outer cladding of the venue uses 5,000m2 of Western Red Cedar timber

Velodrome track: - The Velodrome has been designed with the aim of creating the world’s fastest cycling track by tailoring the track geometry and setting the temperature and environmental conditions within the venue to create record-breaking conditions - The venue has also been being designed with seating all the way round the track to create the best possible crowd atmosphere during events. - Renowned Velodrome track designer Ron Webb oversaw the design and installation of the 2012 track having previously worked on the Sydney and Velodromes - A team of 26 specialist carpenters installed the cycling track over a period of 8 weeks - 56km of surface timber from a sustainably-sourced Siberian pine was laid to form the track surface, fixed into place with more than 350,000 nails

Sustainability elements: - The building has been designed to be lightweight and efficient to reflect the efficient design of a bicycle - The use of abundant daylight through strategically positioned rooflights reduces need for artificial lighting, and natural ventilation is achieved through openings in the external timber cladding of the venue - Water saving fittings and collection of rainwater for reuse in building are built into design to help reduce water consumption - Compact design minimises energy consumed to heat the main arena - Lightweight cable-net roof structure weighs 30kg/m2 compared to 65kg/m2 for the Beijing Velodrome, helping create a highly efficient building

Notes to editors:

1. Images of the Velodrome can be downloaded fromhttp://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr147209717

2. Broadcast quality footage of the Velodrome can be downloaded from the links below or tapes are available on request:

• Velodrome GV/aerials/time-lapse • Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome interview clip

3. In winning the 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize the Velodrome beat strong competition from five other buildings:

- The Angel Building in London by AHMM - Evelyn Grace Academy in London by Zaha Hadid Architects - Folkwang Museum in Germany by David Chipperfield Architects - Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon by Bennetts Associates Architects - An Gaelaras cultural centre in Derry by O'Donnell + Tuomey

4. The Lee Valley Park Regional Authority will own, manage and fund the London 2012 White Water Canoe Centre just north of the M25, the VeloPark, and Tennis Centre and Hockey Centre on the Olympic Park in legacy, ensuring all four are well used by a variety of target groups from beginners to elite athletes with extensive community use, outreach and sports development programmes. They will join the other regional sports venues the Authority owns including the award winning Lee Valley Athletics Centre to create a chain of sporting excellence along the 26 mile long Lee Valley Regional Park. The Park attracts more than four million visitors a year to its 10,000 acres of sport and leisure activities, heritage sites, gardens, nature reserves and riverside trails.

5. For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700

– Ends –

For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700 or visit the website at www.london2012.com.

The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.

Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our blog http://blog.london2012.com