Hopkins Architects Awarded Olympic Velodrome Design Contract

Hopkins Architects, designer of the Lord’s Mound Stand and Glyndebourne Opera House, has been chosen to build the 6,000-seat design 2012 Olympic Games Velodrome.

The building will have an upwardly curving roof at each end to form an oval shape, and be part of a cycling complex that will include a BMX circuit.

The consortium that won the design competition was made up of Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, BDSP and Grant Associates. British Olympic cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy was part of the judging panel.

After the Games, the BMX circuit will be repositioned next to the Velodrome with a road cycle circuit and mountain bike course added to create a legacy VeloPark that will combine cycling facilities across all disciplines in one cycling 'hub', linked into cycle routes across London.

In addition to the facilities that will remain in the VeloPark beyond 2012, the London Development Agency (LDA) are investing £5m in a new permanent road cycle circuit and mountain bike course at Hog Hill, Redbridge and will be funding the facility up to the completion of the legacy VeloPark.

Construction on the velodrome won't begin until mid-2009, but will be completed in time for test events in 2011.

The three other permanent facilities to be built in Olympic Park are the Olympic Stadium, aquatics centre and media centre.