Olympic arena for a revamp

Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has won a GBP (pounds sterling) 154 million contract to transform London’s showpiece 2012 Olympic Stadium into an all-round multipurpose venue, delivering a lasting sporting, cultural and commercial legacy in East London. 

The new contract for stadium operator E20 Stadium, a joint venture between the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council, encompasses the GBP 41 million stadium roof contract that Balfour Beatty was awarded last summer.

The venue will host five matches for the Rugby World Cup 2015 and will be the permanent home of West Ham United football club from 2016. It will also become the national competition stadium for athletics in the UK, and a new community athletics track will be provided alongside it.

Sustainable construction methods will include recycling features of the existing facility and incorporating them into the new stadium, plus the reuse of crushed demolition material, existing balustrades and sanitary ware.

Once reconfigured, the stadium’s cable net roof, which is 84 metres wide at its deepest point, will be the largest cantilevered roof in the world. It will cover every stadium seat, improving acoustics and spectator experience. Site work is set to begin early this year and is due for completion in the spring of 2016.

Balfour Beatty chief executive Andrew McNaughton said: “During construction, our firm commitment to the use of local labour and the creation of apprenticeships will continue to benefit the local community and the wider industry.

Upon completion, the stadium will provide a first-class sporting and cultural facility for many generations to come. Balfour Beatty is proud to be associated with this project.”