5 Comments

London Stadium named stadium of the year

LSThe London Stadium has been named the 2016 Stadium of the year by StadiumDB.com.

The website announced the winner from the Jury vote by saying:

“Making the best out of a bad situation is more than the usual design challenge. After London’s U-turn in Olympic Stadium legacy architects and engineers have done the impossible.

We can already imagine the shock on some West Ham fans’ faces. Yes, their transition from Upton Park to London Stadium hasn’t been going smoothly (to put it mildly). But our Jury evaluated London Stadium from a different perspective, judging the challenge posed by transition from athletics to Premier League football. We kept in mind that the conversion after 2012 Olympics was done contrary to initial legacy plans and making a proper football stadium out of the Olympic venue was a tremendous task, if possible. The execution earned London Stadium its top spot!”

London Stadium was the only nominee to receive partial grades of 10/10, one in visual impact and one in innovation. And precisely innovation is the most praised part of this stadium. It’s innovative as the very first Olympic venue to undergo such an extensive conversion. And while its cost is subject to public scrutiny, the outcome is seen very favourably by most of our Jury.

“Although the conversion has taken some time, this is an excellent case study for adaptation of a Olympic legacy facility. The final result feels fresh and new, and the integration into the surrounding park is quite well done.” says Robert Mankin (NBBJ) who gave the London Stadium conversion 10/10 in innovation.

While the Jury is aware that the planned retractable seating system isn’t implemented as it should have been already, the concept of how stands are moved closer seems to work. At least to the extent that it can. After all, we’re not talking of a football-specific stadium, because it has to be converted for athletics every summer. This makes it a compromise by all means.

A large variety of self-contradictory expectations must have posed a horror for designers, yet they managed to fulfill it very well. Super-light cover structure, smart incorporation of floodlighting and flexibility make it a spectacular masterpiece of engineering. Interior view of the stadium is impressive and well recognizable though the exterior look might be better.” comments Przemek Kaczkowski (STOPROCENT Architekci).

 

About Sean Whetstone

I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called MooreThanJustaPodcast.co.uk. A Blogger on WestHamTillIdie.com a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball, I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh. Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons! Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter

5 comments on “London Stadium named stadium of the year

  1. Oh man this has truly made my day! The Origional Misserable One and his not so merry band will be absolutely disgusted by this positive good news for our club!

    I couldn’t care less what the criteria is or when it was originally built and refurbished or recycled, it simply pleases me that the club has some positive news coming it’s way. Why can’t every fan feel this way, why would anyone be disappointed that something good lands in our laps?

    Stand by for allegations of rigged voting, bribery, blind committee members, inappropriate rules, owners cheating, Brady lies. And that’s just our fans! SAD as Trump would say.

    • I agree with all you say john.
      All those allegations will probably come from the establishment, who seem to have a constant agenda to scupper the stadium at all costs.
      Anyone would think they want to get rid of the stadium, and build an enormous luxury complex in the QE2 park. Wow all those billions to be made.
      I hope they all get ruined in the process lol.

  2. Surely this calls for more emails to be sent off to far flung places around Europe to complain young John lol

  3. *little whisper* I’ve always preferred it to the crumbling ruin. Fifty years at Upton Park was enough for me. Let’s celebrate someone finally recognising that we’ve made a success of what was always going to be a difficult transition.

  4. I can hear furious fingers bashing wet keyboards as we speak Stan, I wish a few of our fans were still inside Upton Park Demon when the bulldozers went in. I agree with you btw the old girl had had her day.

Comments are closed.