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London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

A new design approach and a new era for the Olympic Games

  • CLIENT: London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, also known as LOCOG
  • LOCATION: London, UK
  • SERVICES: Consultancy + Architecture + Events

From the initial bid proposals through to the final hour of the closing ceremony, WOO architects led the design of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. WOO founder Kevin Owens was appointed Design Principal for LOCOG.

The fresh design approach was to challenge and reassess all preconceptions, only build what was necessary, and only commit to permanent projects that would leave a lasting legacy.

More than £8.7 billion was invested in permanent infrastructure ranging from the Olympic Stadium (now the London Stadium) and the largest new urban park in Europe for more than a century, to an entire new residential, retail and cultural district. This has set the direction of the capital’s development for the coming decades. WOO led the design of over 34 individual venues across London and the UK including embracing historic venues and entirely temporary overlay.

We created the London 2012 design strategy, and, as a result, the UK was the first host nation to have set out a clear and concise design strategy for the design and architecture of the Games. The approach throughout was to showcase sport and athletic achievement on fields of play with the backdrop of London’s unique settings to reflect the context and culture of the host city.

Recognising that the Games themselves would be fleeting, the hope that their positive impact on the world’s imagination would last long into the future appears to be coming true.