Much of the media attention around the stadium has focused on what will happen to it after the Games. The sign edge is cut in a ‘shard’ shape, a nod to the 2012 branding.Įlsewhere, 4.2m-high concrete and steel totems are used, and large block numbers are placed directly on to concrete columns. The face of the signage features black and white information, while the inside of the sign is coloured to match surrounding glazing. Signs have a C-shaped cross-section, referencing structural beams. In the stadium, Populous Activate says it has aimed to bring colour to the signage system, without compromising its black-and-white aesthetic. Where text is used, the FS Dillon typeface has been brought in.
The result is a system of black-and-white communications, predominantly based around numerals and pictograms. ‘For it to work, it also had to be visibly different from the highly colourful look of the rest of the 2012 communication.’ The consultancy says, ‘We knew we had to create a set of graphic principles that would be flexible enough to be applied to different kinds of venue while ensuring clear, inclusive and elegant signage. Populous Activate, a division of the architectural firm, has worked on the wayfinding for the stadium, as well as other Olympic venues. The wrap uses the four main brand colours of the Olympics logo – green pink and orange – with each colour designating one of the four stadium entrances. It is formed from canvas banners that run from the top to the bottom of the stadium’s exterior, creating 300 ‘doorways’. The wrap has been designed by artist Sophie Smallhorn and installed in a project with a total cost of £7 million. Last year Dow Chemical announced it would sponsor the wrap. Initial talk suggested that this would either be made from a sustainable material, or take in interactive elements. Seats are in black and white, to allow the Olympics branding to stand out.Įxternal colour is provided by an exterior wrap, which will circle the entire stadium. The main seating bowl is described by Populous as ‘compact… bringing all 80 000 spectators far closer to the event that previous Games venues.’Ībove this bowl is the main stadium structure – featuring the temporary upper seating tier – which is made from tubular steel. Stadium designer Populous – a specialist in sports architecture – says the venue features 50km of seats lined up side by side, and glass balustrades in 56 different colours.
By Angus Montgomery J9:49 am Febru8:51 amĪ functional, rather than necessarily a beautiful design, the stadium has been designed with legacy and flexibility in mind – when the Games finish it will be converted into a 60 000-seat sporting arena.Īnd as with all stadia, there are plenty of impressive sounding statistics.