Boston 2024 Olympic Bid

A bold masterplan blending legacy and innovation

• CLIENT: Mayor of Boston
• LOCATION: Boston, MA, USA
• CAPACITY: City of Boston
• SERVICES: Consultancy + Masterplanning

WOO architects was appointed in June 2014 as lead advisor for the Boston 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympic bid, with a key role to develop the overall masterplan and specific concept design for key venues in collaboration with local design firms Elkus Manfredi Architects and CBT Architects. WOO was the only non-US-based consultant appointed by the Boston 2024 team, and was able to establish a close working relationship with both the city of Boston and the bid team.

Against all the odds, Boston beat competition from Washington, San Francisco and Los Angeles to be the USA’s 2024 bid city in December 2014. In a major part, this win was accredited to the innovative approach taken to venue design and city planning devised by WOO.

A strategic masterplan was created for the overall event, maximising the use of existing facilities, creating key iconic moments, and ultimately providing the blueprint for a truly spectator and fan-driven Games experience.

Additionally, multiple options were developed for the adaptive use of new facilities. Working with venue owners, universities and regional parks, the range of solutions included demountable elements for existing stadia, college facilities, temporary arenas and transformational legacy stadia designs to accommodate both Games and future sports uses.