OUR STORY

Populous has been involved in 10 Olympic Games and were the bid architects for 3 consecutive host city awards for London 2012, Glasgow 2014 and Sochi 2014. Our unique experience allows us to optimise the use of the city to create compelling venue distribution plans. We work alongside bidding cities to provide a comprehensive proposal to organise the Games that will appeal to the IOC. Since 2003, Populous assisted the London 2012 bid team with in-house architects who created the bid winning London wide sports masterplan.

Our process of masterplanning begins with a long term legacy strategy for creating vibrant and sustainable places within cities. We use sporting and entertainment venues as urban catalysts and develop the relationship between social infrastructure elements, and enhance them to add value and character to the urban realm. For the London 2012 Olympic Park our design approach was imbedded in our masterplanning, ensuring that the personal experiences of all user groups were considered from their respective mode of transport to their seat within the venue.

With more than a 1,000 projects completed globally, we open locations to the world –creating iconic venues that become a financial success. Our portfolio includes 3 Olympic stadiums - Sydney 2000, Sochi 2014 and the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, which has already become the centre piece of the park and a catalyst for the urban regeneration of East London. The number of venues that Populous has previously designed embraces the sustainable concept of a Green Games presented in the venue plan development submitted to the IOC.

As architects, we consider the cultural and design aspects of an event, alongside the operational and commercial. By taking a design-inclusive approach to temporary structures, we’re able to maximise user experience to create memorable places and spaces. Our philosophy of ‘embracing the temporary’ has allowed the freedom to showcase London, using it as a backdrop to create defining moments – volleyball on Horse Guards Parade, the silhouette of a horse jumping in Greenwich Park – that will stand as a symbol of the Games for decades to come.

Populous Activate has a unique understanding of sports and entertainment, delivering creative design solutions with commercial vision to enhance the live experience. We engage audiences through visual identity and innovative ideas. For London 2012, we have created a set of flexible graphic principles that have been applied across several venues on the Olympic Park.

The Games have been a catalyst for urban regeneration, fast tracking 25-30 years of planned work into just a decade and creating the largest new park in the city for over 100 years. The Queen Elizabeth Park is a vibrant piece of connecting tissue which will have a positive impact on four London boroughs, creating a new residential district, enhanced rail connectivity, and significant job creation for the local population. At its heart will lie the Olympic stadium, delivering an enduring sporting and entertainment legacy.