Olympic conversion stadium bill rises to £272m
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The Olympic stadium conversion has gone up to £272m the bill was confirmed by the London Legacy Development Corporation this week the stadium which was built for the 2012 Olympics is being converted to a permanent home for West Ham who are moving from Upton Park.
Balfour Beatty who won the tender in October for £190m have highlighted a number of extra costs and have won the extra work which amounts to £36m this is believed to come from alterations to the original ideas from the London Legacy Development Corporation which make provision for a running track and for the stadium to host a number of other events .
The LLDC commented that the extra money “reflects the huge scale of the works undertaken to transform the former Olympic venue from a temporary athletics stadium into a year-round multi-use arena capable of delivering world class sporting and cultural events.”
West Ham United will move into the stadium for the 2016/2017 season while conversion work will be temporarily halted this year when the stadium plays host to athletics, rugby and a motorsport event.
The LLDC said: “The stadium work included the removal of the original roof and light paddles and installation of a new permanent roof, the largest of its kind in the world.
“The 45,000sqm cantilevered roof needed significant strengthening of the superstructure to support the 8km of cable net, 112 steel rafters, 9,900 roof panels and 14 light paddles each weighing 45 tonnes.
“The new roof covers every seat in the venue, improving the acoustics and spectator experience.
“An innovative retractable seating system required the removal of the lower seating bowl. The 21,000 movable seats bring the fans close to the pitch for football and rugby ensuring the Stadium has a long-term legacy.
“Other works included installing catering facilities, toilets and turnstiles, all of which were only temporary during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The LLDC said it still holds a contingency fund due to the large amount of work still needed before West Ham take up permanent residence in the new stadium.
