The Olympic Committee set the main task for the architects: to stay within the minimum budget. Such directives seem to have completely destroyed the possible formal expressiveness of the project and the innovation of its composition.
The building outside will be designed in "natural and muted" colors; its exterior will be enlivened by a strip of glazing, which allows you to look into the "colorful" interior space. The location of the stands will allow all spectators to follow the game with ease. There are also “green” elements: a rainwater harvesting system will be built into the stadium to provide 40% of the required amount of the building, and 40% will save electricity costs due to the active use of daylight.
The design of the future stadium was made as flexible as possible so that it could be turned into a multifunctional sports complex after 2012. This is especially true for the handball arena, because, despite the presence of this sport in the Olympic program since 1936, it is practically unknown in Great Britain and it is unlikely that the facility will be used for its intended purpose after the Olympics.
The project, which won a competition at the end of last year against rivals such as Nicholas Grimshaw and RMJM, was presented ahead of its official launch in November 2008 for consideration by its future East London neighbors.
In the case of this work of Make, the familiar problem of all London Olympic projects is obvious: the harsh dictate of officials destroys all attractive and spectacular elements of future buildings in the bud, since a modest budget takes priority over the prestige of the country and the beauty of a sports festival. The handball arena, as well as the main stadium of the Games (and also - through several future revisions of the project - and the water sports center), is onerous. Therefore, one can understand the British public, which is already asking the question: is it worth holding the Olympics at all, if the “utilitarian” approach has become the main thing in it?
