London 2012 – supporting good design and getting value for money

London 2012 is the largest, most high-profile regeneration project in Europe right now. Expectations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games are huge, both at home and abroad.

Park life

The Olympic park in east London will include 10 hectares of meadows and access to 3km of neglected rivers. It is probably the most important legacy project from London 2012.

CGI of London 2012 Olympic Park, urban design and landscape framework by EDAW/Allies and Morrison Architects © ODA

CABE has worked with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to ensure that good design and value for money have been at the heart of the project.

A CABE-run London 2012 design review panel has scrutinised every major design proposal and the ODA has used a CABE methodology to assess whether projects are delivering value. We have contributed to the design development of 26 schemes. ODA chief executive David Higgins says: ‘The advice and input from CABE, including regular design reviews and contribution to the planning committee, has been vital in making sure we were delivering on design quality with no added time or cost. CABE endorsed the principle of investing in value.’

After the success of the 2008 Olympics, many people expected London to try to commission an extravagant stadium like the Beijing ‘bird’s nest’. But CABE encouraged the architects to exploit the design possibilities of a more cost-efficient, temporary stadium that could be converted to a smaller capacity after the Games.

CABE has also raised aspirations for the ordinary projects that will support 2012, like the utilities buildings and infrastructure. Our concerns about the original bridge proposals led to the appointment of new designers, whose rational and elegant alternative helped to develop the wider park design. And CABE’s insistence on flexibility and quality ensured changes were made to the materials and details of the broadcast and media centre and car park, which will help the buildings to work better together as a place after the Games have closed.

But the most important legacy project is probably the park. This will become one of Europe’s biggest new urban parks for 150 years. Recognising this opportunity, CABE seconded its head of public space, Peter Neal, to advise on how it should be governed, funded, designed and managed. It will be environmentally sustainable and offer something for everyone.

‘It is vital that good design runs through the heart of the ODA and is incorporated into every aspect of the planning and delivery,’ says David Higgins.