Olympic park/the Orbit case study

CASE STUDY OLYMPIC PARK THE ORBIT

Luigi Di Vito Francesco

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

BUILDING CASE STUDY:

THE ORBIT

page 25

General info page 26 Introduction: 2012 Olympics page 3 The brief page 27 Masterplan page 4 The designers page 28-29 Timeline page 5 The engineers page 30 Legacy page 6 Contract page 31

The effect of regeneration: pros page 7 The design page 32-33

The effect of regeneration: cons page 8 The building page 34-35 Location page 9 Construction: diagrid page 36 The Games is London page 10 Assembling method page 37 Transports page 11 From design to construction page 38 Soil condition page 12 Cooling system page 39 Soil cleaning page 13 Use of natural ventilation page 40 Before/after page 14 Heating system page 41

Energy certificates

page 42 Personal opinion page 43 OLYMPIC PARK

Reference list page 44 Olympic Park map page 15

Olympic village page 16 Landscape page 17 Aquatics centre page 18 Olympic stadium page 19 Copper box arena page 20 Velodrome page 21 Eton Manor page 22 Temporary venues page 23 Personal opinion page 24

INTRODUCTION In 2012 London hosted the Olympic Games, it was the third times in its history that the capital of the United Kingdom was chosen to organize the Olympic Games.

London won the competition against the bookies favourite Paris thanks to its innovative and renovative proposal.

The opening ceremony was held on July 27th at the new Olympic stadium and has seen the participation of the Queen herself. The closing ceremony was held on August 12th.

Shortly after the Olympics London hosted the Paralympics Games.

The olympic disciplines took part in many different areas of the capital, but the real core of the Olympic Games was the new Olympic Park built in East London, in Stratford area more precisely, where an athletes villages was built and most sports were held at new venues built all around the park in short walking distance.

Dispite some initial controversy for the cost of the Games the Olympics were eventually seen as an extraordinary success that brought success to the UK and new life to East London.

Image 01, the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics at the Olympic Stadium, London

Image 03 and 04: London 2012 logos

Image 02: the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics at the Olympic Stadium, London Image 01 source: http://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/article-1343577822173-1441ea25000005dc-995590_636x402.jpg Image 02 source: http://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/images_blogs/rawfile/2012/08/AP732547985165.jpg Image 03 source: http://www.horseandcountry.tv/news/2011/03/15/olympics-tickets-go-sale Image 04 source: http://wpuploads.appadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Featured41.jpg?showGallerySet=false

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MASTERPLAN In January 2006, design practice EDAW was selected by the ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) for the design of a masterplan for the Olympic Park, including site of accommodation and many of the venues that would have hosted the sport events, along with the associated infrastructure.

EDAW’s winning consortium includes engineering consultancy Buro Happold, Allies & Morrison, Foreign Office and Populous (formerly HOK Sport). The consortium formed an integrated team with two other firms - Arup which was responsible for the cost benefit analysis for the London Olympic bid and Atkins.

The EDAW team’s remit was to design all the Olympic Park’s infrastructure elements, including utilities, waterways, drainage, landscape, platforms for the venues, roads and bridges. The EDAW Consortium previously produced the master plan that helped London win the 2012 games. (see below for reference)

Image 06. The Olympic Park logo

Image 05. The Olympic park, masterplan Text reference: http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/2012olympic-park/ Image 05 source: http://www.kcap.eu/en/projects/v/legacy_masterplan_framework/993 Image 06 source: http://www.greatbritishcarnival.co.uk/article/18/

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TIMELINE In July 2005 the Olympic Committee announced that London would have hosted the 2012 Olympics, meaning that the city would have had 7 years to be ready for the event.

The construction of the Olympic Park started in 2007 after the approval of planning application. Soil “enabling� works and land preparation works for all the venures started in 2007.

Transports plans development (involving roads,tube,buses etc.) started in 2008 and were completed during 2011.

Most of the venues were completed before the beginning of 2012, the year of the Games.

Image 07. The Olympic Park, construction phases

Image 07 source: http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/2012olympic-park/ Graph 01 source: https://olympicvillage2012.wordpress.com/history-2/timeline/

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LEGACY With the conclusion of the 2012 Olympics started the Legacy project, an opportunity to widely improve the living standards in East London, providing new services and opportunities for the local community.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is an opportunity to establish a new fulcrum for growth in the east of London, moving London’s centre of gravity east. Of itself, the Park will not guarantee equal life chances, but it is an essential step towards shifting the city’s geographical inequalities. (see reference at the bottom of the page)

Image 08. Masterplan during the Games and lgacy masterplan

Text source: http://www.citymetric.com/stratford-or-royal-docks-race-be-london-s-third-business-district Image 08 source: http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/erinchantry/57536/olympic-legacy-first-hand Graph 02 source: http://www.geography.org.uk/projects/planetsport/london2012/legacy/

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THE EFFECTS OF THE REGENERATION: PROS The construction of the Olympic Park together with the redevelopment of Stratford area changed radically the future of East London.

Before the 2012 Olympics Stratford was a semi abandoned industrial area and pollution, crime and disoccupation, differently from other areas in London, were normality in this area.

London won the competition for the 2012 Games especially thanks to the positive effects that redevelopment and renovation coming with the Legacy project would have brought to Stratford area.

The Olympic Park not only brought new green areas and services for the local community, but it also brought jobs and hope for a better future.

The area was greatly renewed and developed, bringing positive changing at the sight of everyone: - some old buildings were demolished and replaced by new ones - transport were greatly improved - the waterways were cleaned - the green areas were extended and new vegetation was - air pollution was substantially decreased - soil was decontaminated and cleaned - criminality dramatically decreased - security for the local community was provided

Image 09. A street in Stratford before and after the Ganes

Image 10. Changes the Olympics brought in Stratford

Image 09 source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/interactive/2012/jul/27/olympic-regeneration-legacy-stratford Image 10 source: http://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/stratford-then-and-now

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THE EFFECTS OF THE REGENERATION: CONS 2012 Olympics were a challenge that London faced in the right way from the beginning giving a lot of attention to the social aspects.

However despite all the benefits that the Olympics brought to the city there are some cons that are worth considering and mentioning.

The major of these cons is the cost of the Olympics, around ÂŁ12 billion.

When these costs became public the reaction of the people was not positive, how could it have been?

The majority of people saw the amount of money dedicated to the Olympics exaggerated considering the economic crysis the world was and is still facing.

These people wanted the money spent on schools, infrastructures and public services for the community rather than huge sport venues in the east of the city.

Image 11. One of the 200 companies forced to relocate

Bringing the Olympics to Stratford had another big effect especially on the local community.

Due to the construction of the Olympic Park many companies present on site at the time had to relocate: some companies claimed the amount of money received for relocating not being adequate.

Other companies closed and many people lost their job.

Image 12. Owners of a local pub uncertain about the future of their pub due to continuous change in the area Image 11 source: https://newham2012.wordpress.com/ Image 12 source: https://newham2012.wordpress.com/

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LOCATION

Image 13. Location of Stratford in London Image 13 source:

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THE GAMES IN LONDON

Image 14 source: http://www.thedigitalmuse.net/piceenp/london-2012-venues-map-pdf

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TRANSPORTS £6.5 billion investment in infrastructure improvement before the Games, increasing capacity and improving accessibility to help realise London 2012’s aim for 100 per cent of spectators to travel to the Games using public transport, or by walking or cycling.

After the Games Improvements transforming the Olympic Park area into one of the best connected parts of London – served by 10 different rail routes – benefit Londoners and commuters for decades Fifty-fi ve new railcars for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) enable it to run three-carriage trains on most of its network, increasing the capacity of light-rail network.

The capacity and frequency of services have been increased on the London Overground’s North London Line, which connects south-west London to Stratford station, via north London.

Nine new lifts and eight new staircases have been installed and subways extended or reopened at Stratford station to improve passenger fl ow and accessibility. An accessible mezzaninelevel entrance has been opened at Stratford station, easing crowding at the existing entrance and taking passengers directly to the westbound Central line and DLR services.

Image 15. Stratford station on the Tube map

More than 100 improvement schemes have been delivered on eight walking and cyclingroutes across London, including some that link the Olympic Park, as well as paths linking to outer London venues. The DLR has been extended under the River Thames to Woolwich Arsenal, and from Canning Town to Stratford.

Image 16. Stratford bus station and Stratford centre during the Games

Image 17. Improvement works at Stratford station

Text reference: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224148/2901179_OlympicLegacy_acc.pdf Image 15 source: http://subway.umka.org/map-london/jubilee-line/stratford.html Image 16 source: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/88493/London_2012_Transport_Plan_-_Ch1-5.pdf Image 17 source: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=324694&page=6

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SOIL CONDITION The ODA chose Atkins engineering company as services provider for the 2012 Olympics.

The main service Atkins engineers had to provide was preparation of the site to enable the construction works and development of the Olympic Park and its venues.

Preparing the site was a real challenge for Atkins engineers: for over 150 years Lea Valley site was mainly an industrial area and because of the heavy industrial activity soil was highly contaminated.

The pictures in this page show the condition of the site before the beginning of the works for the Olympic Park.

Image 18. The site before construction

Image 19. Hackney fridge mountain in the area where the stadium is built today

Image 20. The site before construction

Images source: http://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/stratford-then-and-now

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SOIL CLEANING The strategy studied by Atkins was to clean the soil directly on site avoiding sending soil to landfill, resulting in a positive impact both on the environment as it reduced carbon emissions by avoiding a massive traffic impact and on local residents as it reduced nuisance factors as dust, noise and air pollution..

Before the beginning of the works Atkins estimated an initial percentage of 80 of reused soil while conventionally 50% is considered an excellent result.

Atkins engineers started the works by drilling around 3500 holes on the ground to determine the geological composition of the soil and its level of contamination.

The contaminated soil was then brought in two treatment centres on site known as “soil hospitals� to be tested, processed and cleaned in many different ways using specific techniques depending on the level of contamination. Five soil washing plants (image X) were installed on site for treating the contaminated soil. The washing plants treated around 700,000 of the total 900,000 cubic metres of soil eventually treated.

At the end of the enabling works the company scored an impressive 98% of reused materials claiming the operation as one the one biggest soil cleaning process ever made.

The company managed to finish the job on time and on budget. (see below for references)

Image 21. Washing plants at work at the Olympic Park, 2007

Text reference: http://www.atkinsglobal.com/media-centre/features/enabling-olympic-park Image 21 source: http://www.atkinsglobal.com/media-centre/features/enabling-olympic-park Diagram 01 source: http://renewcanada.net/2010/scottish-scientists-export-remediation-tech/

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BEFORE/AFTER

Image 22 source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/interactive/2012/jul/27/olympic-regeneration-legacy-stratford Image 23 source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/interactive/2012/jul/27/olympic-regeneration-legacy-stratford

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OLYMPIC PARK MAP

Image 24 source: http://www.uel.ac.uk/geo-information/documents/UEL_TGIfS_PreGames_OGI_Release.pdf

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LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: LDA Design, Hargreaves Associates

The landscape architects of the Olympic Park are LDA Design which worked in collaboration with Hargreaves Associates. The two firms managed to transform the site from a desolated and contamined land into a gree area rich of life as we see it today.

The two practise also worked at the design post-Games that made the Olympic Park a proper park.

With its 2.5 kmq the park is biggest urban area built in London since the Victorian era.

The park itself is symbol of regeneration of East London.

Image and text source: http://worldlandscapearchitect.com/london-2012-olympic-park-london-uk-lda-design-with-hargreaves-associates/#.VLQrjiusV8E

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OLYMPIC VILLAGE The Olympic village was used as accomodation by athletes and official taking part to the 2012 Olympics.

The village is known as East village, it was within walking distance to the Olympic Park to allow the athlets to feel and breathe the Olympic atmosphere.

The village has around 3,300 flats for a total of 17,000 beds.

After the end of the Olympics the village started being converted in flats placed on the market for sale.

Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Number of apartments:

various ÂŁ1.1 billion 2007 - 2012 3,300 Image 01. The Olympic village

Image 02. Interior of one the flats as it was during the Games

Image 03. The Olympic village, aerial view

Image 01 source: http://www.idesignarch.com/inside-london-2012-olympic-athletes-village/ Image 02 source: http://www.idesignarch.com/inside-london-2012-olympic-athletes-village/ Image 03 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Village,_London

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AQUATICS CENTRE London aquatics centre designed by Zaha Hadid architects is probably the most eye-catching building in the Olympic park. The building was used for swimming, diving and synchronized swimming events during the 2012 Games.

After the Olympics the building capicity was sensibily reduced due to temporary stands being removed. The building reopened in spring 2014.

It will host 2016 European Aquatic Championships.

Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Structural engineer: Capacity:

Zaha Hadid ÂŁ269 million April 2008 - June 2011 Arup 17,500 (2,500 post Olympics)

Image 01. The aquatics centre, 2012

The aquatics centre, interior view

Interior view,

Image 01 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Aquatics_Centre Image 02 source: http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/london-aquatics-centre

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Image 02. The aquatics centre, 2014

The timber skin of the building

OLYMPIC STADIUM London Olympic stadium was designed by the architecture firm Populous.

Populous architects are specialized in the design of stadiums, arenas and sport facilities. Having a huge experience in this field surely was a factor that contributed to their victory in the competition for the Olympic stadium.

The stadium hosted both opening and closure ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics.

During the 2012 Games it hosted mainly Athletics and other sport events.

From 2017 the stadium will be the home of West Ham Football Club and British Athletics, seeing its capacity reduced to 54,000 seatings.

Baltor Beatty were contracted to build the new roof and carry on transformation works with a budget of ÂŁ154 million.

The stadium will host some matches of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and 2017 Athletics World Championship. The stadium is set to host music events as well.

Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Structural engineer: Capacity:

Populous ÂŁ486 million April 2008 - March 2011 Buro Happold Engineering 80,000 (54,000 post Olympics) Image 01. The Olympic stadium, exterior, 2012

Image 02. The stadium, interior view

Image 03. Interior view, 2012

Image 04. A model of the stadium

Image 01 source: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/nine-very-olympic-ads-2012-london-games-142017 Image 02 source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12909326 Image 03 source: http://www1.skysports.com/athletics/news/12993/8342273/london-has-been-chosen-to-host-the-2017-ipc-athletics-world-championships Image 04 source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/technology-video/8667350/3D-model-of-Olympic-2012-stadium-built-in-six-hours.html

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COPPER BOX ARENA The copper box arena is today a multi sport venue and it is the only permenent indoor sports venuee in the Olympic park as the basketball arena was only a temporary venue.

The copper boxed, named-so because of copper cladding all around its structure, was used during the Games mainly for Handball matches and modern pentathlon.

As stated by the architects the copper box, due to being one of the biggest indoor arena in London, might be used for indoor concerts and activities other than sport events.

Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Structural engineer: Capacity:

MAKE Architects, Populous ÂŁ43 million 2009 - 2011 Arup 7,500

Image 01. The copper box arena, aerial view

Photo:

Exterior view

Photo:

Interior view

Image 02. The copper box arena interior, 2012

Image 09 source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2115314/London-2012-Olympics-Copper-Box-Venue-Guide.html Image 09 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Box Photos are taken with my personal camera.

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VELODROME The Velodrome is one of the permanent venues of the Olympic park.

The building designed by Hopkins architects is energy-efficient, thanks to the roof structure that let natural light in reducing the costs of artificial lighting and natural ventilation that is used throughout the building.

The Velodrome was and is still used as an indoor cycling track, The building won numerous prizes and awards thanks to its innovative design and sustainability.

The Velodrome will host the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Structural engineer: Capacity:

Hopkins Architects ÂŁ105 million 2009 - 2011 Expedition Engineering 6,000

Photo:

Photo:

Exterior view

Image 01. The Velodrome, aerial view

Image 01 source: http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/london-olympics-architecture Image 02 source: http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/London-Olympics/London-Olympics-Velodrome/72c63/ Photos are taken with my personal camera.

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The velodrome exterior

Image 02. The velodrome interior, 2012

ETON MANOR Eton Manor was designed by Stanton WIlliams architecture firm.

Differently from other venues of the Olympic Park, Eton Manor did no host any sport during the games apart the Paralympics tennis tournament.

The complex in fact was coinceved as a training centre for tennis and swimming, it included 13 outdoor tennis courts plus indoor tennis centre and swimming pools. “Stanton Williams were awarded the contract on the basis of an excellent track record in delivering first class design projects in an innovative and sustainable way with a sound proposal for legacy mode.�

John Armitt, ODA chairman Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Structural engineer: Capacity:

Stanton Williams not known 2009 - 2011 ARUP 10,500 Eton Manor, one of the tennis courts

View of one of the main court

One of the training swimming pool

Eton Manor, aerial view

Text and Images source: http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/london-2012-olympics-eton-manor/

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TEMPORARY VENUES Fot the 2012 Olympics three temporary venues were built: the basketball arena, the river bank arena and the water-polo arena. All 3 were dismantled shortly after the conclusione of the Games and the materials used for construction recycled and used elsewhere.

Basketball arena Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Structural engineer: Capacity:

Wilkinson Eyre Architects £40 million February 2010 - June 2011 SKM Anthony Hunts 12,000

The basketball arena in 2012

The basketball arena, interior

The water-polo arena, exterior

The water-polo arena, interior

The river bank arena in 2012

The river bank arena, aerial view

Water-Polo arena Water polo arena was the first dedicated water polo venue to be built for an Olympic. The arena was taken down after the Olympics, and some of the material used in its construction has been recycled elsewhere.

Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Structural engineer: Capacity:

David Morley architects £19 million spring 2011 - 2012 Buro Happold Engineering 5,000

River bank arena The River bank arena was used for hockey matches.

Architect: Construction cost: Construction time: Structural Engineer: Capacity:

Populous £19 million from 3,000 up to 15,000

Image 01-02 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_Arena_%28London%29 Image 03-04 source: http://davidmorleyarchitects.co.uk/projects/london-2012-water-polo-arena Image 05-06 source: https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/riverbank-arena-london-2012-venue-guide-101713382.html

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PERSONAL OPINION

The Olympic Park was designed with the aim to bring benefits to East London other than sport venues.

In my various journeys to the Olympic Park I have realized and personally tested how efficient the transports network is in Stratford area.

I have used the DLR to make my journeys, and taken the tube from central London once, both tranports are very efficient (as we all know) and allow a very fast journey from central London to Stratford.

Both Jubilee and Central are very efficient even if during rush hours travelling with the tube is not very comfortable.

The DLR benefited incredibly from the construction of the Olympic Park, seeing its extended from Canning Town to Stratford and a new connection made towards Woolwich Arsenal.

Thinking that I could have not made the same journey 5 years ago made me reflect on the actual benefits the Games brought to London.

Public transports are not the only benefit London received as “gift” from the Olympics. London received the Olympic Park, a beatiful park in the east of the city that is set to become of the most popular in London (I do not think it will ever overtake Hyde Park though, thanks to Hyde Park’s more central position).

The park is an amazing and immense new green area that brought environmental and social benefits to East London. To me cleaning the waterways was one of the keys as it gives an impression of a clean environment (although I would still avoid swimming in the park’s canals).

The park also offer opportunities to practise sport by providing equipment and free access 24hours.

The construction of temporary venues was another key of the success of the Olympics, an incredible amount of money has been saved and the materials used in the temporary venues were/will be used elsewhere and being recycled.

Apart from the relocation of some companies I do not see other negative aspects the construction of the Olympic Park brought.

To conclude the Olympic Park has been a challenge the London amazingly won and that will make it an example to emulate for all countries.

All photos on this page have been taken with my personal camera

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THE ORBIT

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GENERAL INFO Building type: Observation tower Height: 114.5m (376ft) Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine Designer: Anish Kapoor (sculptor), Cecil Balmond (designer, architect), ARUP Architect: Ushida Finley architects Structural engineer: ARUP Lightning engineer: Michael Londsale Pipework: SFPipework Lift: Thyssen Krup Cladding: Lindner Construction cost: ÂŁ22.7 million Construction time: 22 months, August 2012 - June 2012

The ArcelorMittal Orbit Photo taken with my personal camera

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THE BRIEF

- Maximum occupancy: 300 people per time - Mixable use - Use of natural ventilation where possible - Low energy profile building - Comfortable environment for all occupants at all floors - Same building regulations as high-rise building - Fire regulations - Building services must not detract from art

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THE DESIGNERS The Indian-born sculptor Anish Kapoor is the main designer of the Orbit.

The sculptor studied art in London and in 1990 he represented Britain at Venice Biennale winning the “Premio Duemila“ award.

Kapoor is a world-famous sculptor known for his genius geometric and biomorphic sculptures. His sculptures attract visitors from all over the world and have always encountered great success, making him one of the best scupltors of the 21st century.

Some of his most famous works include: “Cloud Gate“, “Turning the World Upside Down”, “Leviathan”, “Tall tree and the Eye”.

Anish Kapoor

Tall tree and the eye

Turning the world upside down

Image 01 source: http://www.zilli-magazine.fr/en/non-classe-en/anish-kapoor/ Image 02 source: http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/gibbs-farm-1 Image 03-04 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anish_Kapoor Image 05 source: http://www.studiomatters.com/art/anish-kapoor-in-jerusalem

Cloud gate

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THE DESIGNERS Cecil Balmond is a Sri Lankan-British architect, sculptor, artist and writer. He worked together with Anish Kapoor at the design of the Orbit.

The two artists had worked together many times before colloaborating on the Orbit.

Balmond worked for ARUP for over 40 years, in 2010 he left the practise to set up his own Architectural practise, Balmond Studio, with offices in London and Colombo.

Like Kapoor’s Balmond’s works are famous worldwide, he worked on very famous buildings when he was at ARUP and also sculptures and exhibitions.

Some of his most famous works include: “H edge”, “Star of Caledonia”, “Serpentine Pavillion 2002”, “Element“.

Star of Caledonia

Cecil Balmond

H edge

Serpentine pavillion 2002

Element

Image 01 source: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/02/0207_balmond/source/1.htm Image 02 source: http://waamblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/cecil-balmonds-critically-acclaimed-sculpture-h_edge-makes-its-uk-debut-in-londons-spitalfields/ Image 03 source: http://blog.archpaper.com/2012/10/balmonds-snow-words-brings-new-light-to-alaska/ Image 04-05 source: http://www.dezeen.com/2010/02/23/element-cecil-balmond-at-tokyo-opera-city-art-gallery/

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THE ENGINEERS ARUP is a design firm formed by engineers, architects, planners and specialists funded by Ove N. Arup in 1946.

The firm has 83 branches in countries, its headquarters are located in London where it was founded.

The firm is specialized in structural engineering and became famous with the structural design of Sidney Opera House.

Since then the firm worked on very known projects like Pompidou Centre in Paris, CCTV headquarters and Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, 30 St Mary Axe, Shard, Aquatics Centre, Millennium Bridge in London and many others.

Image 01 source: http://www.chinatourguide.com/beijing/bird_nest.html Image 02 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sydney_Opera_House_Sails.jpg Image 03 source: http://driverlayer.com/img/arup/59/any Image 04-05 source: http://driverlayer.com/img/arup/59/any

The bird’s nest, Beijing

Sidney Opera House, Sidney

Millennium bridge, London

CCTV headquarters, Beijing

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CONTRACT Diagram that illustrates the hierarchy in the project of the Orbit

Diagram taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich. All rights go to ARUP

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DESIGN In 2012 Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond starting collaborating to deisgn an observation tower in the Olympic Park.

They so created the ArcelorMittal Orbit, an observation tower based on irregular geometry.

In his new book ‘Crossover‘ Cecil Balmond describes the inspiration that lead to the design of the Orbit.

‘A planet moves in constant motion whirling around a steady path – a stability. The idea for Orbit was just that, an encircling, in direct contrast to the static stand-up of the traditional tower. The higher a tower climbs the more vulnerable it seems, stick-like, having to be strengthened by buttressing. We looked at images of the Eiffel Tower, Tatlin Tower, and the mythical rise of Babel; they were vertical stacks as single ascents into the sky. What interested us more was a vulnerability, something stable but transient. An orbit can do that, wrap around itself to create the distances apart needed for equilibrium. When the trace overlaps it connects up structure. As the Orbit rises to come back down, elaborating a different path each time, a three dimensional network forms. But one strand is all there is.’ - Cecil Balmond (see below for reference)

Series of sketches from Cecil Balmond for the Orbit

Series of computer drawing of the Orbit from early stages Text source: http://thinking-in-practice.com/crossover-orbit Images taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich. All rights go to ARUP

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DESIGN

Video that illustrates the design process of the Orbit

Video source: http://vimeo.com/25395300

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THE BUILDING The Orbit is both a sculpture and a building at the same time, until you do not go inside the sculpture side of it seems to prevail (even if building regulations are applied to the Orbit).

What we are sure is that the Orbit is an observation tower.

A ticket is necessary to enter the Orbit, price vary depending on age (child, student, adult etc.).

The entrance is located at the base of the structure where people are free to walk around to take pictures.

UPPER VIEWING GALLERY LOWER VIEWING GALLERY

A huge canopy that looks like a big trumpet is placed just next to the entrance, typical of the work of the sculptor Anish Kapoor.

There are two ways to reach the observation deck. A lift which is in the middle of the structure or staircase which goes all the way around the Orbit for a total lenght of 150+ meters (455 steps).

The easiest way to go up is obviously the lift but it is worth taking the stairs to fully experience the Orbit and enjoy the view which becomes more amazing as you go up.

The lower viewing gallery is located at 80m height while the upper viewing gallery at 85m height.

The view from the upper deck is amazing, especially when it is sunny.

Just like the view from the Shard you don’t really want to spend your money in a typical cloudy London day as you will not fully enjoy it and it would feel like a waste of money as tickets are not cheap (£15 for an adult ticket to climb the Orbit, £25 for the Shard).

LIFT/CORE

CANOPY MAIN ENTRANCE

Once you go up a good zoom lens has to be used to take good shots of Central London as Stratford is in zone 3, not that close to the the city centre, certainly not like the Shard.

Image showing the organization of the Orbit

Image source: http://www.searchcornerstone.com/media/uploads/ArcelorMittal-Orbit-big.jpg

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THE BUILDING pt.2

All photos on this page have been taken with my personal camera

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CONSTRUCTION: DIAGRID ARUP made use of a diagrid structural system in order to support the complex geometry of the Orbit.

Diagrid system is a structural construction method that allows to build complex-shaped building through the use of pre-fabricatetd star nodes that are joined one to each other directly on site.

The diagrid nodes have each 6 elements coming together at a point (centre of the node) and they all have different angles due to 3D modelling.

Computer drawing showing the junction of the steel of a diagrid node

Photos taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich

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ASSEMBLING METHOD The diagrid nodes were joined together directly on site by workers standing on platform place externally to the Orbit. The workers were standing at the end of an elevator with mechanical arms, known as MEWP (mobile elevator working platform, the blue machine in the pictures).

This system of diagrid-assembling was used until the tower reached 40 meters of height.

To complete the construction of the structure the MEWP had to be lifted on a steel structure (the light blue column in the picture on the right) to carry on working using the same method until the top of the Orbit.

Sequences of image showing assembling of diagrid through the use of MEWP

Photos taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich

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FROM DESIGN TO CONSTRUCTION

Timelime for the Orbit: from design to handover Diagram taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich. All rights go to ARUP

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COOLING SYSTEM The diagram on right shows how the cooling system works inside the observation deck.

The building makes use of displacement ventilation combined with underfloor cooling.

Displacement ventilation supplies conditioned cool air from an air handling unit (AHU) through a low induction diffuser.

The cool air spreads through the floor of the space and then rises as the air warms due to heat exchange with heat sources in the space (e.g., occupants, lights).

The warmer air has a lower density than the cool air, and thus creates upward convective flows known as thermal plumes. The warm air then exits the zone at the ceiling height of the room.

Displacement ventilation

Diagram taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich. All rights go to ARUP

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USE OF NATURAL VENTILATION The diagram on the right shows at what temperatures the building makes use of natural ventilation and in what quantity the latter is used.

On the X axis is the exterior temperature, the Y axis represent the use of natural ventilation expressed in h/y (hours per year).

Below -2°C the building sees natural ventilation used at its minimum (from 0 to 70 h/y.

From -1°C to 5° the use of natural ventilation is much higher (from 220 to 350 h/y) Between temperatures of 6°C and 21°C the use of natural ventilation increases, with a peak between 8°C and 11°C (450 h/y).

Use of natural ventilation starts to decrease rapidly until the temperature reaches 21°C (130 h/y).

From temperatures of 23°C and above natural ventilation is still used but is not the main source of ventilation inside the Orbit (from 100 to 0 h/y at 33°C).

Chilled floor is used to cool the building when temperatures are above 22°C.

Graph taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich. All rights go to ARUP

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HEATING SYSTEM The diagram on the right shows how the heating system works.

When the outside temperature is low the facade is sealed automatically, not letting cold air in.

Fresh air enters the observation deck from the roof and it is warmed thanks to underfloor heating, keepig internal temperature between 20째C and 24째C. Hot air circulates into the building to then go out from the roof of the observation deck where all the machine necessary for ventilation are kept (handling plant, chiller and circulating pumps).

Diagram taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich. All rights go to ARUP

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Diagram taken from ARUP presentation at University of Greenwich. All rights go to ARUP

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PERSONAL OPINION I remember the first time I saw the Orbit. I could not really understand what the gigantic red tower was and my first opinion was that whatever it was the Orbit was ugly.

I am a fan of both Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond, I find their work simply amazing and inspiring. Considering their previous works and the fact that the two had worked together a couple of times before working together on the Orbit, I think they could have designed something much more beautiful for an important site such as the Olympic Park, something that could not have been anywhere else in the world. The Orbit taken by itself is just an observation tower, it does not have a rea link to the Olympic Park.

And differently from the designers’ previous works the Orbit is not just a temporary exhibition, it is a permament tower that will stay at his place for many years.

I think Anish Kapoor tried to condensate too many things in only one building: the observation tower, the diagrid structure, the canopy etc.

In my opinion he should have kept the structure as much simple as possible, in keeping with his previous works.

As a building the Orbit does what it is supposed to do, it is a sustainable building and provide access to one of the tallest observation point in London.

About the structure I particurarly like diagrid system and I think that ARUP did an amazing job designing the structure for the Orbit. I like the choice of the colour as well, red.

When I went to the Olympic Park to visit the Orbit I was negatively impressed by the tickets prices. A ticket for an adult costs £15, there are reduced prices for families, students etc. but the normal price is still £15.

To understand the real value of a ticket we have to compare to Orbit to other observations tower and fortunately there is one quite tall in London that I had the pleasure to visit: the Shard.

A ticket for the Shard cost £25, £10 more than the Orbit. If we had to compare prices only the Orbit probably would not have rivals in London. But there other factors we need to keep in mind.

The Shard is almost 3 times taller than the Orbit with an observation point at 244m height. The observation deck of the Orbit is at 80m height, 3 times less than the Shard.

The Shard is also located in central London, which means that the view is simply breath-taking.

The Orbit is located in Stratford instead, zone 3 quite far from the city centre. The only thing you will be able to see from the observation deck is the Olympic Park and surrounding area, still a nice view but to me it was not worth £15. Central London is still visible but you will probably need a binoculars or a good zoom lens to take a decent shot of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

That said, my opinion on the Orbit has not changed after this case study. It was ugly at first, it remains ugly now and it probably always will.

All photos on this page have been taken with my personal camera

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The view from the Orbit

The view from the Shard

REFERENCE LIST INTERNET - http://www.olympic.org/london-2012-summer-olympics - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Olympics - http://queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/ - http://www.theguardian.com/sport/olympics-2012 - http://www.atkinsglobal.com/media-centre/features/enabling-olympic-park - http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/london-olympics-buildings - http://www.londonolympics2012.com/ - http://londonaquaticscentre.org/ - http://worldlandscapearchitect.com/london-2012-olympic-park-london-uk-lda-design-with-hargreaves-associates/#.VLQrjiusV8E - http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/2012olympic-park/ - http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/london-2012-basketball-arena.aspx?category=sport-and-leisure - http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/london-2012-olympics-eton-manor/ - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/88493/London_2012_Transport_Plan_-_Ch1-5.pdf - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Village,_London - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/10127550/One-year-on-the-transformation-of-Londons-Olympic-park.html - http://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/stratford-then-and-now - http://www.theguardian.com/sport/interactive/2012/jul/27/olympic-regeneration-legacy-stratford - http://www.uel.ac.uk/geo-information/documents/UEL_TGIfS_PreGames_OGI_Release.pdf - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224181/1188-B_Meta_Evaluation.pdf - http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/globalassets/documents/media/press-releases/lloyds-banking-group/2012/eco_impact_report.pdf - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224148/2901179_OlympicLegacy_acc.pdf - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy_of_the_2012_Summer_Olympics - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArcelorMittal_Orbit - http://arcelormittalorbit.com/ - http://www.dezeen.com/2012/05/14/arcelormittal-orbit-by-anish-kapoor-and-cecil-balmond/ - http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/public-service/arcelormittal-orbit-olympic-park-london-by-anish-kapoor-and-cecil-balmond-with-ushida-findlay-architects-and-arup/8616404.article - http://anishkapoor.com/ - http://www.balmondstudio.com/ - http://www.arup.com/ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arup_Group_Limited - http://www.arup.com/Projects/London_2012_ArcelorMittal_Orbit - http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/olympic-park-landmark

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