U.S. architects HOK, the company selected by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to design the stadium for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, revealed that the final design to be unveiled in the new year could feature retractable seating tiers, a folding roof, removable stands, and could even change its height.
The Stratford stadium in east London would be the most advanced of its type in the world and would be able to change shape every six to 12 months, depending on the type of event or sport it was hosting.
Architect Rod Sheard said, “it should be possible to turn an arena that was an Olympic stadium for 80,000 spectators one year into an arena for 20,000 the next year and a Commonwealth Games arena for 40,000 the year after. We are trying to do something that no other Olympic city has ever done. We are looking at technology that was not available 10 years ago – collapsible roofs and movable structures”. The stadium could reportedly also have a cocoon exterior.
