Press.
Tuesday 3 Jul
Over 400 entries received as practices vie for places on Athletes Village architect panel
Judging is now set to commence, as the Lend Lease led consortium and the Architecture Foundation move one step closer to appointing a panel of architects to design the Athletes Village for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
The international call for architects closed on 28 June having yielded 434 submissions from around the world. The majority came from the UK, with countries such as France, Australia, Japan and the United States also strongly represented.
“The response from the international architectural community has been absolutely overwhelming,” says Lend Lease Europe Chairman Nigel Hugill.
“Our intention is to assemble a panel that combines youth and experience, practices large and small. We are now well and truly on track to achieve this – and from there to create an Athletes Village that sets new standards for the Games and delivers on the long-term needs of the east London community.”
Rowan Moore, Director of the Architecture Foundation adds: “The Athletes Village will bring exceptional new architecture to the design of large scale residential neighbourhoods, something which is still too rare in Britain. The response of architects both, both in the UK and internationally, gives us every reason to be confident that this project can deliver something very special.”
The task now faced by the 10-strong judging panel is to work through the 434 submissions and select a panel of around 40 practices.
Chaired by Frank Duffy, Chairman of the Stratford City Design Review Panel, the judging panel also includes:
Simon Allford - Partner, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Ricky Burdett - Principal Design Advisor, Olympic Delivery Authority
Paul Finch OBE - Chairman, CABE London 2012 Design Review Panel
Paul Hartmann - Stratford City Project Sponsor, Olympic Delivery Authority
Christine Hawley - Dean, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Nigel Hugill - Chairman, Lend Lease Europe
Stephen Jordan - Managing Director (Stations & Property), London & Continental Railways
Elliot Lipton - Managing Director, First Base
Rowan Moore - Director, The Architecture Foundation
Keith Priest - Director, Fletcher Priest Architects
The architects’ panel is expected to be announced at the end of July. Selected practices will then compete for commissions to design individual elements of the new high-density residential district – a project with an estimated value of £2 billion which involves the development of approximately 4,200 residential dwellings and related accommodation.
Commissions will vary from individual buildings and pavilions to much larger projects. The first commissions are expected to be announced in September 2007.
Lend Lease and its partners First Base and East Thames were selected by London & Continental Railways and the Olympic Delivery Authority in March 2007 as preferred Development Partner for Zones 2-7 of Stratford City – a remit which includes the Athletes Village.
The masterplan for Stratford City Zones 2-7 is being designed by Fletcher Priest Architects along with West 8 and Allford Hall Monaghan Morris. This team will have an ongoing role in the selection process and will continue to work on the project at a strategic level alongside the selected architects and other stakeholders.
For more information contact:
Philip Clark Lend Lease 020 7182 9206
Sue Brown FD Tamesis 020 7269 9341 / 020 7831 3113
Notes to Editors:
Lend Lease
Founded in Australia in the 1950s and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, Lend Lease is a leading real estate specialist, which creates, enhances and manages real estate assets around the world. The Group's activities are primarily focused in the regions of Asia Pacific, Europe and the US, and cover 40 countries on six continents.
In the UK, its business is focused primarily on the delivery of large scale, retail led, mixed use schemes which lead to the regeneration of town centre and major urban sites.
Lend Lease provides cohesive in-house solutions for mixed-use developments, from planning and consultation, to development, funding, construction and asset management. In addition, through First Base (a joint venture with Elliott Lipton) and Crosby Lend Lease, the group's residential development business, it can deliver affordable and private homes as part of integrated retail, commercial and residential developments.
The Group also provides international project and construction management services through Bovis Lend Lease.
The Architecture Foundation
The Architecture Foundation promotes and encourages the best in contemporary architecture and brings it to a wide public. It runs a rich programme comprising exhibitions, events, design initiatives, competitions and education projects.
Established in 1991 as Britain's first independent architecture centre, The Architecture Foundation actively bridges the gap between decision-makers, design professionals and the public.