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games taking place during the Olympics meant that more space was required for the duration of the event – and a temporary venue was the clear solution. In several instances we found a strong


case for a hybrid approach – giving a permanent facility the capacity to expand to host a particular event, then retract to a more manageable scale thereafter. The Aquatics Centre is a good example


of this. Although the UK as a whole doesn’t have a high number of swimming facilities, its fairly average popularity as a sport would indicate that a pool with a 17,000-seat capacity would not be fully utilised. Thus, a brief was established to create a permanent venue with a more sustainable long-term capacity of 2,500 seats that could be temporarily expanded to 17,000 seats, to meet the requirements of the Games.


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Similarly, the Olympic Handball Arena


has been given a unique field of play, where the seats in the lower bowl can completely retract – enabling community events to be hosted there after the Games. Chris Jopson, associate principal at


Populous, welcomes the flexibility of this hybrid model. “The big difference with temporary architecture today,” he points out, “is that it’s now factored in from the very start and integrated into the design. Rather than being squeezed in, buildings are actually designed to have areas that are specifically for temporary seating.” He cites the Bristol City Stadium as a


good example. Designed in the middle of a recession – and with England’s bid for the 2008 FIFA World Cup in mind – it was vital that the venue be future-proofed. The resulting structure is able to extend from a 30,000 to a 44,000 capacity and


Temporary structures such as the beach volleyball venue in central London can be installed in short time frames


back again. The lower bowl has a core capacity that doesn’t change, but the upper bowl has ‘missing teeth’, meaning the north and south upper stands can be increased by 7,000 seats apiece. So the stadium has a distinctive aesthetic style and a flexibility that safeguards its future. This flexibility is key when it comes to


an Olympic stadium. At Sydney 2000, the main stadium capacity was designed to reduce from 110,000 to 80,000 seats. For London 2012, the stadium is designed to hold 80,000 spectators during the Games, then the legacy model is reduced to a 25,000-seat stadium that works for both football and athletics events.


SPORTS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK 2012 59


PIC: © POPULOUS


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