2012 London Olympic Venues Guide with An Interactive Map

2012 will be a remarkable one for London. Over the summer, it will celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee, marking her 60 years on the throne. And then, of course, the world’s most extraordinary show will arrive in London. When London hosts the Games of the XXX Olympiad from July 27 – August 12, 2012, it will become the first city to stage the Olympics three times (Athens and Paris have hosted the Summer Games twice, and Lake Placid and St. Moritz have held the Olympic Winter Games twice.)
London also hosted the Games in 1908 and 1948, and both times played a vital role in the development of the modern Olympic movement. Sixty-four years later, London will confront a different type of challenge – following the majestic Beijing Games. London will have no such fiscal luxury, but it does have several other things going for it – principally the ability to integrate historic sites and venues with fresh locales.
An Interactive Map of London 2012 Olympic Venues

Horse Guards Parade will be the venue for the Olympic Beach Volleyball Games in London

Tennis will be played on Wimbledon‘s prestigious lawns . Beach volleyball – one of the Olympics’ newer sensations – will be held at the Horse Guards Parade in the heart of ceremonial London. Hyde Park, steeped in 400 years of history, will host triathlon. The World Heritage Site of Greenwich Park in south-east London will feature Olympic equestrian events and elements of the modern pentathlon. Competitors will take part in equestrian cross country through the park followed by dressage and jumping in an arena in front of the 17th Century Queen’s House.

North Greenwich Arena (aka O2 Arena or Millennium Dome ) will host Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline Gymnastics and the Basketball finals during the Summer Games

Wembley Stadium, famed for its giant 440 ft high arch, will host soccer finals

Designed by Foster and Partners and Populous (then HOK Sport), Wembley Stadium in the London Borough of Brent is the biggest of the six stadiums staging the London 2012 Olympic Games soccer competition. It will host the gold medal events in both the Men’s and Women’s competition. The 90000 capacity venue is the second largest stadium in Europe, and serves as England’s national stadium.A signature feature of the stadium, following on from the old Wembley’s distinctive Twin Towers, is the 134 metres (440 ft) high Wembley Arch. With a span of 317 metres (1040 ft), this steel arch is the longest single span roof structure in the world. The stadium was built by Australian firm Multiplex at a cost of £798 million

London 2012 Olympic Marathon will takes runners past many of London’s most famous sights, including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

The London 2012 Olympic Marathon will start and finish on The Mall with a circuit of St. James’ Park, followed by three eight-mile loops (13 kilometers) around various landmarks including Trafalgar Square, Admiralty Arch, Birdcage Walk, St Paul’s Cathedral, Leadenhall, Tower Hill, London Eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The race has the spectacular backdrop of Buckingham Palace for the race finish. There will be some Special Viewing areas along the course, which will require tickets, but for most of the course the public will be able to view both the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Marathon event for FREE.

London's sustainable Olympic stadium has been made from materials 75 percent lighter than steel, the most common material used to build other stadiums

As for the new, London’s Olympic Park in Stratford, east London – an area that was heavily bombed during World War II and has recently been industrially contaminated land – is the largest urban development in more than a century. The Olympic Park will be the site of the new 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium, designed by American firm Populous (formerly known as HOK Sport) in collaboration with the British architect Peter Cook,  which will host track and field and the opening and closing ceremonies. The London Olympic Stadium is purportedly the most sustainable ever built. It has been made from materials 75 percent lighter than steel, the most common material used to build other stadiums. Low-carbon concrete was used in its construction, which contains 40 percent less carbon than usual. Steel and concrete use was reduced further by designing the lower part of the stadium in a bowl in the ground. The Stadium is on an “island” site – surrounded by waterways on three sides. Spectators will be able to reach it via five bridges that connect it to the surrounding area. The 80,000-seat venue will be reduced to 25,000 post-Games with its upper bowl can be detached and its materials recycled.

London 2012’s jaw-dropping centrepiece, the £269m Aquatis Center was designed by Iraq-born British architect Zaha Hadid and features a wave-like roof

The signature venue of the Games – designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Zaha Hadid and nicknamed the “stingray,” – should be the new Aquatics Centre, also housed in Olympic Park. The pool cost 269 million pounds ($439 million) in total. Diving and swimming will be held here, with water polo in a separate arena.  Organizers are calling it the “gateway” to the Park, and in an effort to blend form and function, it will feature a wave-like roof that is likely to provide one of the lasting architectural images of the Games.
A Guide to London Olympic Park

An aerial view of The Olympic Park in London

1 – OLYMPIC STADIUM
Sports: Athletics, Paralympic athletics.
Cost: £537m.
Architect: Populous.
Capacity: 80,000.
25,000 seats sit on the permanent lower tier, while 55,000 seats are on the temporary upper tier.
A permanent venue that will also host the opening and closing ceremonies on July 27 and August 12.
The most sustainable Olympic stadium ever, it is
75 per cent lighter than others in terms of steel usage.
Features a low-carbon concrete that contains 40 per cent less embodied carbon than standard concrete.
The stadium’s top ring was built using recycled gas pipes.
The stadium sits in a bowl in the ground, which further reduces its use of steel and concrete.
Spectators reach the site via five bridges.
Post Games, West Ham United will move into the stadium.
2 – HANDBALL ARENA
Sports: Handball, modern pentathlon fencing.
First event: Opening handball matches (July 28).
Cost: £44m.
Architects: MAKE.
Capacity: 6,500.
Permanent venue features more than 3,000sq m of mostly recycled external copper cladding.
Spectators enter directly on to aconcourse level that encircles the building.
Post-Games, it will be adapted to a multi-use sports centre.
3 – VELODROME AND BMX TRACK
Sports: Track cycling, Paralympic track cycling.
First event: Men’s Team Pursuit qualifying (Aug 2).
Cost: £93m.
Architect: Hopkins Architects, Grant Associates.
Capacity: 6,000.
Nicknamed ‘The Pringle’ because of its crisp-like shape, it is the most sustainable venue in the Park.
Ventilation is 100 per cent natural, providing a perfect track-level temperature.
Sir Chris Hoy and Team GB cyclists were consulted during the design process.
The lower tier will have 3,500 seats around the track, with a further 2,500 seats suspended in two tiers within the curves of the roof.
A mountain bike course and road circuit will be added post-Games to create a permanent VeloPark.
4 – BASKETBALL ARENA
Sports: Basketball, handball, Paralympic wheelchair basketball, Paralympic wheelchair rugby.
First event: Opening matches (July 28).
Cost: £40m.
Architects: Sinclair Knight Merz, together with Wilkinson Eyre and KSS.
Capacity: 12,000.
Steel frame weighs 1,000 tonnes and is one of the largest temporary venues ever built for an Olympic Games.
The structure will be relocated elsewhere in the UK after the Games.
5 – OLYMPIC VILLAGE
The Village will cater for 17,000 athletes and officials.
Homes are built around communal squares and courtyards.
The Village includes shops, restaurants and medical, media and leisure facilities.
The ‘Village Plaza’ is an area where athletes can meet with friends and families.
Post-Games, the Village will be transformed into 2,800 new homes, 1,379 of which will be affordable homes.
Chobham Academy will be opened as an educational campus with 1,800 student places.
The Olympic Delivery Authority are responsible for overseeing the Village.
6 – AQUATICS CENTRE
Sports: Swimming, synchronised swimming, Paralympic swimming, diving, modern pentathlon.
First event: Men’s 100m breaststroke heats (July 28).
Cost: £269m.
Architect: Zaha Hadid.
Capacity: 17,500.
A permanent venue that will be extended temporarily during the Games.
Incorporates a 160m long wave-like roof — a longer single span than the one at Heathrow’s Terminal 5.
Contains 50m competition pool, 25m diving pool, 50m warm-up pool.
Spectators seated in two temporary wings.
Water polo will be held in a temporary arena next door.
To be transformed into a a community and elite facility after the Games.
The sports program itself will have two notable absences from the Beijing Games, as baseball and softball have been dropped from the Olympic slate. No new sports have been added, though several new disciplines will be contested. Primary additions include women’s boxing for the first time at an Olympics, and a re-configuring of the track cycling program. In Beijing, there were seven track cycling events for men and three for women; each gender will have five track cycling events in London. Also, tennis has added a mixed doubles competition.
London 2012 Olympics: sport-by-sport guide
Archery
Location: Lord’s Cricket Ground
GB medal chances: One medal is a realistic prospect.
Athletics
Location: Olympic Stadium
GB medal chances: UK Athletics has set the bar for 2012 at 10 medals.
Badminton
Location: Wembley Arena
GB medal chances: One medal in both men’s and mixed doubles.
Basketball
Location: Basketball Arena
GB medal chances: The goal is to reach the quarter-finals of both the men’s and women’s competition.
Boxing
Location: ExCeL
GB medal chances: Two minimum, although five are possible.
Canoe sprint
Location: Eton Dorney
GB medal chances: 11 medals are targeted.
Canoe slalom
Location: Lee Valley White Water Centre
GB medal chances: Four medals are targeted.
Track cycling
Location: Velodrome
GB medal chances: Performance Director Dave Brailsford aims to have a medal ‘shout’ in all 18 events.
Road cycling
Location: London and Surrey
GB medal chances: Team GB has a major chance in all disciplines.
BMX cycling
Location: BMX circuit next to Velodrome
GB medal chances: Shanaze Reade, at her best, could challenge.
Mountain bike cycling
Location: Hadleigh Farm, Essex
GB medal chances: At present there are no obvious medal contenders in the mountain bike.
Diving
Location: Aquatics Centre
GB medal chances: There are chances in men’s platform, both individual and synchro.
Equestrianism
Location: Greenwich Park
GB medal chances: Team GB are aiming to get medals in all the disciplines; eventing, dressage and show jumping and Paralympic dressage.
Fencing
Location: ExCeL
GB medal chances: One medal.
Football
Location: Wembley Stadium
GB medal chances: A goal of medals in both men’s and women’s football might be highly ambitious.
Rhythmic gymnastics
Location: Wembley Arena
GB medal chances: None
Artistic gymnastics
Location: North Greenwich Arena (O2)
GB medal chances: A minimum of two medals are targeted
Trampoline gymnastics
Location: North Greenwich Arena (O2)
GB medal chances: An Olympic medal is still a long-shot, but home advantage could make all the difference.
Handball
Location: Basketball Arena
GB medal chances: The aim is to reach the knockout stages (last eight), but a medal seems unlikely.
Hockey
Location: Hockey Centre
GB medal chances: One medal each for the both the men’s and women’s teams are being targeted.
Judo
Location: ExCeL
GB medal chances: Two medals are being targeted.
Modern Pentathlon
Location: Aquatics Centre, Greenwich Park, Handball Arena,
GB medal chances: Primary target is to claim a medal in both the men’s and the women’s event.
Rowing
Location: Eton Dorney
GB medal chances: The GB rowing team are targeting three medals in 2012.
Sailing
Location: Weymouth and Portland
GB medal chances: Four to five medals have been targeted.
Shooting
Location: The Royal Artillery Barracks
GB medal chances: Two shooting medals are targeted after falling just short in Beijing.
Synchronised Swimming
Location: Aquatics Centre
GB medal chances: The focus is top six for duet, so medals seem unlikely.
Swimming
Location: Aquatics Centre
GB medal chances: The target is for better performances than Beijing where Britain won six medals with 21 finalists.
Table Tennis
Location: ExCeL
GB medal chances: Even one would be a major success.
Taekwondo
Location: ExCeL
GB medal chances: Two medals are being targeted.
Tennis
Location: Wimbledon
GB medal chances: Two are being targeted and there is every chance Andy Murray could deliver.
Triathlon
Location: Hyde Park
GB medal chances: One medal is being targeted and Alistair Brownlee is current world and European triathlon.
Indoor Volleyball
Location: ExCeL
GB medal chances: Highly unlikely and have only qualified through host status.
Beach Volleyball
Location: Horse Guards Parade
GB medal chances: Team GB are a wild outside hope of getting a medal.
Water Polo
Location: Aquatics Centre
GB medal chances: Outside chance for one at best.
Weightlighting
Location: ExCeL
GB medal chances: The aim is to get ‘lifters into the finals so medals are not on the agenda.
Wrestling
Location: ExCeL
GB medal chances: The hope is to qualify at least five wrestlers competing, with one or two achieving a top eight finish.