View of the Velodrome, at the Olympic Park, Stratford.
View of the Velodrome, at the Olympic Park, Stratford. The London Velopark is a cycling centre in Leyton in east London. It was one of the permanent Olympic and Paralympic venues for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Velopark is at the northern end of Olympic Park. It has a velodrome and BMX racing track, which have been used for the Games, as well as a one-mile ( km) road course and a mountain bike track. The park replaces the Eastway Cycle Circuit demolished to make way for it. The facilities built for the Olympics were constructed between 2009 and 2011. The first event in the Velopark was the London round of the 2011 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series. In 2009, at the time work began on the construction of the velodrome, the estimated cost of that facility alone was £105 million. Work on the velodrome was completed in February 2011, and was the first Olympic Park venue to be completed. The roof is designed to reflect the geometry of cycling as well as being lightweight and efficient reflecting a bike. There is also a 360-degree concourse level with windows allowing people views of the Olympic Park. The velodrome is energy efficient—rooflights reduce the need for artificial lights, and natural ventilation reduces the need for air condition. Rain water is also collected, which reduces the amount of water used from the municipal water system. Designer Ron Webb, who designed the velodrome tracks for the Sydney and Athens Games, was in charge of the design and installation of the track. The 250-metre track was made with 56 km of Siberian Pine and 350,000 nails. The velodrome was officially opened by many successful British athletes including Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton. It is informally known as "The Pringle" due to its distinctive shape. It was shortlisted for the 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize. and won the 2011 Structural Awards Supreme Award for Structural Engineering.
Size: 4064px × 2704px
Location: Olympic Park, Stratford, London
Photo credit: © John Gaffen 2 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 2012, designer, london, olympic, park, ron, stratford, velodrome, webb
