Velopark / Velodrome

Chris added this project

The London Velopark is a cycling centre to be constructed in Leyton in East, London in England. It will serve as one of the 'Big Five' permanent Olympic venues for the 2012 Games. The Velopark will be situated at the northern end of London's Olympic Park.

The funding for the Velopark was confirmed in February 2005 and the project was scheduled to go ahead whether or not London's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics was successful.

However as London's bid for the Games was successful the velodrome will be built with a spectator capacity of 6,000 rather than 1,500 seats that it would otherwise have had. The other facility at the site which will be used for the Olympics is the outdoor BMX racing track, which will also have a spectator capacity of 6,000.

In addition to the two Olympic venues the London Velopark will feature a 1.6 km road racing circuit, and a cross-country mountain bike course. However the road racing at the Olympics will take place in Regent's Park and Hampstead Heath and the surrounding streets, and the mountain biking will be held east of London near Hadleigh Castle in Essex.

The Velopark is scheduled to be completed in 2011. In 2004, during London's Olympic bid, the estimated cost was £37 million, including £20 million for the velodrome. In 2009, at the time work began on the construction of the velodrome, the estimated cost of that facility alone was £105 million. The velodrome will also be used for the 2012 Paralympics.

Since London won the games, the planned size of the velopark has been reduced from 34 hectares to 10 hectares. The road and mountain bike circuits will be far smaller than originally proposed, and the promised cycle speedway track will not be built.

On 12 July 2007 the Olympic Delivery Authority announced the selection of the design team for the Velopark, comprising Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, BDSP, and Grant Associates.

The London Development Agency (LDA) have funded a new permanent road cycle circuit and mountain bike course at the Hog Hill cycle track, costing £5m. This replaces the former Eastway cycle facilities sited within the London Olympic Park. The London Borough of Redbridge will be funding the facility up to the completion of the legacy London Velopark. Work is underway to identify an operator of Hog Hill beyond 2012.


2 years ago

Chris added company Hopkins Architects, Grant Associates
2 years ago