The Olympic Stadium London, United Kingdom
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SPECIAL REPORT | STADIUMS & VENUES THE OLYMPIC STADIUM LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM “The Olympic Stadium will set the bringing UK Athletics, Essex County Cricket been vaguely addressed, though the club has bar for all future Olympics,” said Club and events manager Live Nation with revealed it is in discussions with Populous John Barrow, a senior principal at them in a project backed by local authority over a potential UK£10m (US$16.2 million) lead Olympic architects Populous, in a recent Newham Council and construction giant conversion to retractable seating. The pressure interview with SportsPro. “The 2012 Olympics Westfield. An olive branch has also been on West Ham to deliver is substantial, but will be the most sustainable Olympics ever.” offered to League One club Leyton Orient the potential benefits for all parties are just A bold statement and a noble ambition, one – the closest soccer team to the Olympic as significant. For some time, UK Athletics which now partly rests in the hands of soccer Stadium whose opposition has been strongly has been in dire need of a stadium capable club West Ham United, its owners David expressed – in the form of a promise to make of hosting elite competitions and operating Sullivan and David Gold and its vice-chairman the 60,000 capacity venue available for their as a genuine commercial centre. If their Karren Brady. London 2012 will be blessed biggest fixtures. The fractious bidding process cohabitation with West Ham is a success, it with a generous array of cleverly conceived took on an almost ideological dimension. will not only buttress the long-term future venues whose use will not yield a long-term Backed by AEG, north London-based of what remains a popular sport in Britain, burden. The future of the centrepiece, Spurs’ pitch was commercially impressive but also provide a workable model for similar however, has been bitterly disputed since the but derided by some of their own fans as a groundshares elsewhere – just as the practice original 25,000-seat downgrade was scrapped betrayal of their local community in Haringey, is becoming discredited. West Ham’s pledge to as financially unviable following the global while their offer to fund a revamp of UK buck a nationwide trend and make thousands economic crisis. In March, the Olympic Park Athletics’ undesirable Crystal Palace home was of tickets for every home game available at Legacy Committee (OPLC) chose West dismissed as patronising. West Ham, on the highly affordable prices should also prove Ham’s multi-purpose proposal over that of other hand, have struggled to convince some popular with young people and families, and Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, observers that they can make the numbers give the stadium more of a community feel. which would have resulted in the semi- on their offering add up, particularly in the The project remains something of a leap in demolition and rebuilding of the stadium and light of their recent relegation to England’s the dark, but if it lands safely, the Olympic expulsion of athletics. Barring the success second-tier Npower Championship. The Stadium will fulfil London’s promise of of court proceedings issued by Tottenham, realities of accommodating soccer, athletics a meaningful and sustainable legacy with the Hammers will take up residence in 2014, and cricket within the same facility have only something to spare. 74 | SportsProMedia.com SportsPro Magazine | 75 ROLAND GArros PARIS, FRANCE The French Tennis Federation’s The upshot of this is that the FFT will be coming from public funds. A roof will (FFT) February 2011 decision to keep hoping to weave the history and prestige of be added to the Court Philippe Chatrier the French Open at Roland Garros the existing venue into a truly world-class – the principal arena on the site – with was described by director general Gilbert proposition – one which meets the highest its various stands systematically updated Ysern as “probably the most important since modern standards in terms of hospitality and and its capacity expanded. Furthermore a its creation.” The two-week long Grand facilities for spectators and the media. Ysern is 5,000-seater court will be built amongst the Slam tennis tournament brings in 90 per clear about his ambitions for the project. leafy gardens and greenhouses of the Serres cent of the organisation’s overall revenue. “The goal is not to have more, but to d’Auteuil in order to replace the adjacent Understandably, then, the comprehensive treat our people better than we do at the circular-shaped court number one, which five to seven year redevelopment of the host moment, be it the players, or the public, or is to be demolished and transformed into venue, worth roughly US$430 million, will be the sponsors, or our guests in the hospitality a wide-open space to meet the demands Ysern’s primary preoccupation for some time areas,” says Ysern. “Really, the purpose is of the crowds expected to gather prior to come. to try and be the nicest event and the top to newly planned night sessions. Lastly, Roland Garros is not the only Grand Slam quality event in the world rather than being a covered 14,500 capacity stadium with a venue set for an upgrade. Following years of biggest in terms of numbers of spectators, retractable roof will be constructed from change at Wimbledon, where the All England number of acres or whatever.” scratch at nearby Porte d’Auteuil, roughly Club have installed a roof on Centre Court Deep red clay and spectacular on-court 1km east of the tennis complex, alongside and dramatically revamped No.1 Court and rallies make the French Open unique among a new state-of-the-art media centre and No.2 Court, Australian Open hosts Melbourne Grand Slams, and the city of Paris’ 99-year luxurious panoramic restaurant. Park are to significantly increase their overall lease agreement with the FFT represents a “The facility in five, six, or seven years capacity and fit a roof on the Margaret Court major commitment to the tournament and its time will be nothing like that which exists Arena. Unlike those, however, Roland Garros famous old home. This is mirrored in the scale today. We’re going to make more room for was subjected to a competitive bidding process of the FFT’s investment. the various people that make a success of the in which it saw off the challenges of larger, Starting in 2012 the project will be funded event, starting with the players, the media, more expensive new-build sites at Gonesse, almost entirely by France’s tennis authorities sponsors and, very importantly, the general Versailles and Marne-la-Vallé. with just five per cent of the overall budget public,” concludes Ysern. 74 | SportsProMedia.com SportsPro Magazine | 75 SPECIAL REPORT | STADIUMS & VENUES NEW CorINTHIANS STADIUM SÃO PAulO, BRAZIL The last time Brazil hosted the Fifa undermined when Fifa rejected São Paulo in their careers. Even if international interest World Cup, in 1950, a shock defeat in FC’s 70,000-seater Estádio do Morumbi in the Brasileirão grows gradually, Brazil the final game to Uruguay cost them because of concerns over financial guarantees is potentially among the biggest domestic the chance of a first world title and inflicted a regarding its renovation. After a period of no markets for the game in the world. With the deep wound on the national psyche. A lifetime little uncertainty, Corinthians have stepped World Cup heralding the demise of some of later and it is hard to imagine that failure into the breach. A tax incentive deal with the the country’s outdated concrete bowls, the by the seleção to win what would be their city council has allowed the club to raise the Itaquera leads a generation of new stadiums sixth world title in 2014 could prompt such capacity of its proposed Itaquera stadium which should transform the earning potential mournful introspection, but embarrassment from 48,500 to 65,000, in line with Fifa’s of top Brazilian clubs. CDCA Arquitetos off the field could easily check the stride of demands. Despite this breakthrough, doubts have designed a distinctive, modern venue an increasingly prosperous and confident remain over whether it can be delivered on with a retractable roof and ample facilities for nation. With three years to go until kick- time. Building work has yet to begin, and it has hospitality and conferencing. It is a prospect off, familiar organisational problems are already been confirmed that the venue will not far removed from Corinthians’ current home, hampering preparations for the event – which be ready in time for the dress rehearsal, the the historic but somewhat crude Estádio do itself comes two years ahead of Brazil’s 2013 Fifa Confederations Cup. The stakes are Pacaembu. Already one of Brazil’s highest first Olympic Games in Rio. Infrastructural high for São Paulo, which will be eliminated earning clubs, Corinthians believe the new upgrades, particularly to the country’s from the list of host cities if the project venue will earn them somewhere in the region airport network, are behind schedule, as are founders – an outcome which would also do of US$62 million a year, quickly justifying several stadium projects. Nowhere is the substantial damage to Brazil’s reputation. Yet their outlay on its construction. The success problem more acute than in São Paulo, the national pride is not the only issue in play of developments like this one would bring country’s most populous city, home to 20 here. Brazilian club soccer is on the rise: young domestic soccer in Brazil to commercial million of its people and a handful of its prospects like Neymar are waiting longer to maturity, at the very moment a well-run World greatest soccer clubs.