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'A Great British Olympics' London 2012

Part 2 Project 2005
Sophie Goldhill
 Royal College of Art | UK
The project readdresses the traditional 'chocolate box' images of famous London landmarks, pushing them into the new millennium by bringing the games back into the heart of the city. Situating SHOOTING at the TOWER OF LONDON, CYCLING round the G.L.A and HIGH DIVING off TOWER BRIDGE

Masterplan

The masterplan uses the river Thames as 'a string of pearls' to connect the 54 Olympic events. The masterplan is divided up into six zones that circumvent bridge crossing. The zones are clustered around famous London landmarks that are temporarily utilised by this parasitic architecture to house a variety of different sporting events.

The project specifically looks at the most eastern of these zones 'the tower zone'.

Architecture

The architecture is formed with a series of temporary structures that clip on to the existing landmarks, amplifying and appropriating meaning. The design of the architectural 'kit' is reconfigurable depending on need and use.

Legacy

The masterplan affects both local and global perceptions of the city, before, during and after the event. Structuring London as a framed stage, the city is united both physically, through the reconditioning of the Thames and London landmarks, and socially, as an event that promotes sport and activity to the masses.

What is left is the memory of 'A great British Olympics' and a dynamic reconfigurable public space along the Thames.



Sophie's project explores the relationship between branding, architecture, event and the city.

She looks to branding because it is a highly sophisticated contemporary mechanism. A mechanism that accounts for the consumer and the consumed in its self-projection. In Sophie's thesis project she is not simply a designer, but a creative strategists, able to understand the possibilities of product and materiality as well as the interplay of cultural and social mechanisms.

Sophie investigates the possibilities and opportunities that are presented when a major global event occurs within a city. She is using the London Olympic Games 2012 as a catalyst to speculate on London as 'Event City'.

She asks…how might such an event change London…?

The Games are an agent of change, possibly a catalyst for a drive towards a more vibrant, inclusive and sustainable London.

Her aim…? to make London gorgeous…

2005
‘A GREAT BRITISH OLYMPICS’ LONDON 2012
THAMES MASTERPLAN The masterplan uses the river Thames as ‘a string of pearls’ to connect the 54 Olympic and Paralympic events. The masterplan is divided up into seven zones that circumvent the bridge crossings. The zones are clustered around famous Lon
TOWER ZONE The tower zone is the most eastern of these zones and is centred around Tower bridge in what was once called the pool of London.
EVENT MASSING Looking at space planning of situating: •Shooting at the Tower of London •Cycling round the G.L.A •High diving off Tower Bridge.
SPECTATOR NUMBERS Relationship between the landmarks and events – working out how to included 3,500 per event. At total of 14,500 spectators.
EVENT ARCHITECTURE The architecture addresses the idea of temporary structures that clip on to the existing landmarks amplifying meaning and potential by reconditioning. The project is constructed through a kit of parts that can be reconfigured dependin
PLAN
SECTION DETAIL Shwoing spectator stand at the High Diving event situated at Tower Bridge.
SECTION Shwoing the High Diving event situated at Tower Bridge and Track Cycling round the G.L.A.
ELEVATION DETAIL Shwoing the High Diving event situated at Tower Bridge.
SECTION DETAIL Shwoing the High Diving event situated at Tower Bridge.
ELEVATION
PERSPECTIVE DEATIL
PERSPECTIVE DEATIL
ELEVATION DEATIL the city is united both physically, through the reconditioning of the Thames and London landmarks, and socially, as an event that promotes sport and activity to the masses.
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