Architecture Program
Date of this Version
Spring 5-8-2010
Abstract
Many old Olympic stadiums are “white elephants” because they are valuable and the owners cannot dispose of them, but the cost of upkeep is out of proportion. This was proven to be a problem in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics: Beijing National Stadium costs $9 million to maintain annually and there was not a permanent tenant slated to use the facility. The stadium has seen only two major events since the Games concluded. This is a problem. This project proposes an Olympic stadium that is designed with a secondary purpose. London has already taken steps to improve the problem by constructing a temporary stadium for its 2012 event. This is a major step forward, but there are still unanswered questions. One of the most important questions: What exactly will it become after the Games and why? My project takes the existing site, temporary/permanent structure, and opportunities for development as given and proposes the design and planning of a new Stratford “neighborhood.”