Architects Populous were challenged to transform the LONDON 2012 Olympic stadium , which was part of a much larger masterplan, into one serving visitors and fans as a stand-alone venue for years to come. West Ham United Football Club was eventually chosen as the tenant for the venue, with football matches having a maximum capacity of 60,000 spectators. West Ham games operate alongside other events: retractable seating was added to accommodate up to 80,000 spectators for those occasions. The Olympic masterplan relied on external spectator accommodations, including food and other hospitality.

Modern venues depend on corporate hospitality to remain economically viable, so the redevelopment included an enhanced, first-class Hospitality Suite. The design team built it using nearly 950m² [10,225ft²] of SPS terracing and aisle steps, which also form a watertight “roof” over the concession facilities below. Elsewhere in the stadium, SPS created an additional mid-tier of seating between the new lower bowl and the existing upper bowl.

SPS is significantly lighter than concrete terracing, and in a stadium with the largest gravity-supported roof in the world, every ounce counts. That weight saving allowed the contractor to use mini piles in the foundations, which require considerably less concrete. As a result, the project saved 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide and helped the stadium redevelopment gain a BREEAM Excellent certification.

The London Stadium was not the only Olympic venue to benefit from the unique properties of highly customisable SPS. At Zaha Hadid’s London Aquatics Centre, our demountable terrace decking allowed the venue to scale back from 17,500 spectators during the Games to 2,500 afterwards, a capacity far better suited to its legacy role serving the east London community.