On 31 May 2007, the Lend Lease led consortium and the Architecture Foundation launched an international call for architects to design the Athletes Village for the London 2012 Games.

World class array of design talent announced for Athletes Village
Wednesday, 21 May 2008

Lend Lease and the Olympic Delivery Authority have this week announced a stunning assembly of architects to design key parts of the Athletes Village for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Lend Lease and the Architecture Foundation last year established a shortlist of 47 practices to compete to design elements of the Athletes Village following initial expressions of interest from 400 firms.

Over fifteen talented architectural and landscape design teams have so far been retained by Lend Lease and the ODA to work on different aspects of the project, ranging from generous courtyard housing with communal gardens to 30 storey residential towers overlooking the Olympic Park.

Highly regarded Swiss landscape design firm Vogt will develop the masterplan for the Village jointly with architecture and urban design firm Patel Taylor, with continued support from Fletcher Priest Architects.

Eleven mid-rise residential schemes will be designed by a variety of established and emerging designers. Practices appointed to this round of work are:

Caruso St John Architects
CF Moller Architects
Denton Corker Marshall Architecture and Urban Design
De Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects
DSDHA
Eric Parry Architects
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands
Glenn Howells Architects
Ian Ritchie Architects
Niall McLaughlin Architects
Panter Hudspith Architects
Penoyre and Prasad Architects
Piercy Conner Architects and Designers

In addition, two 30 storey residential schemes will be designed by Make and Ian Simpson Architects respectively.

Working with the independent Planning Committee for the Olympic Park and its Design Review Panel, senior representatives of Lend Lease and the ODA have now formed a Village Design Board to facilitate the management of this diverse range of design teams.

Lend Lease Europe Chairman, Nigel Hugill, said:
“These practices bring experience, energy and vitality to the Village’s design and we are very pleased with the variety of practices appointed to date. We look forward to introducing more architects to the scheme in due course.”

ODA Chief Executive, David Higgins, said:
“The Olympic Village will be a major part of the lasting legacy the 2012 Games will deliver, creating new homes, open spaces and community facilities, all on the doorstep of one of the largest new urban parks in Europe for 150 years. The announcement of some of Europe’s most talented architects and landscape designers to work on the designs of the Olympic Village is a huge boost and will ensure design excellence continues to play an essential role in the delivery of this project.”

Rowan Moore, Director of the Architecture, Foundation said:
“It is very good news that such an exceptional and diverse group of architects should be involved in a project of this significance. It is the outcome we were all looking for when we launched the selection process for the architects’ panel last year. We are delighted that the Architecture Foundation has contributed to the process that has led their appointment, and we look forward to further architects of this quality getting involved in the future.”

Athletes Village is a major part of Zones 2-7 of the Stratford City regeneration area. 3, 400 residential units will be built, providing beds for 17, 320 athletes during the Olympic Games and 8, 756 during the Paralympic Games. Post-Games the Village will feature 30% affordable homes site-wide, along with shops, restaurants, medical facilities and a new school academy. Homes will be surrounded by landscaped public spaces and tree-lined avenues and will feature generous courtyard housing and communal gardens.