The announcement took place today in Sri Lanka with 47 of the 71 voting nations opting for Glasgow, to 24 for the Nigerian capital Abuja.
RMJM’s team in Glasgow has been working with Glasgow City Council on the bid for 2 years, to create the masterplan for the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village.
Paul Stallan, UK Design Director of RMJM said:
"I am absolutely delighted at the announcement, and to have been part of the Commonwealth bid for Glasgow, one of the most exciting, design led cities in the world. The Games will contribute to the city’s future architectural legacy by regenerating the East End and bringing lasting benefit to the City."
The masterplan site covers approximately 40 hectares and is located in Dalmarnock in the East End of the City. The scheme aims to tackle the regeneration of one of the City's most deprived and socially problematic areas, to create a successful and exciting Games Village accommodating over 7,000 athletes in more than 1,000 new permanent housing units. Facilities such as landscaped areas, an international zone, a transport hub and a hotel also form part of the Village masterplan.
RMJM was approached by Glasgow City Council in December 2005 to create the masterplan for the 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village. The final bid submission for Glasgow was in May 2007, with a visit from the Commonwealth bid committee in August.
Glasgow is mid-way through one of the largest inner city regeneration programmes in Europe, the Clyde Gateway Project, which centres around the Games Village.
At the heart of the design solution is the Village legacy which considers how the site will develop after the Games are finished to provide a sustainable urban living environment. Additional units, community buildings, transport connections, local facilities and amenities and good quality pedestrian flow will all be integrated into the solution.
The Village has been designed to meet the specific needs of the Games and will consist of:
- A secure residential zone with a number of permanent dwellings that meet sustainability objectives.
- An international zone with a range of temporary buildings that include a shopping complex, entertainment complex, conference rooms, media facilities and a security management centre.
- Extensive Village support services which are required by athletes/team officials, including restaurants, team offices, service and travel centres, and of course gym and fitness facilities.
The design concept maximises the proximity to the River Clyde and provides a high proportion of green space, amenity land and water features within the site. It will be divided into 6-8 themed areas based on Scottish glens, clearly signposted and colour coded to aid orientation through the site.
The village will be car free with a looped bus service around the Village using electric vehicles and will also have its own extensive transport mall providing regular and frequent bus access to all of the Games venues.
The Village masterplan incorporates a variety of house types and sizes. They will include 4, 3 and 2 story dwellings, with a mix of apartments, townhouses, detached and semi detached houses. This range of housing types will give maximum flexibility for the Games and be an attractive mix for onward sale and rent after the Games.
Ultimately, the masterplan proposes a new inner city housing neighbourhood for Glasgow, maximising the re-use of brownfield land for residential development and amenity use. Post Games, it will provide a mix of private housing for sale or rent, and social housing to meet the needs of the community in the East End of Glasgow. It is the largest and most ambitious of the new housing neighbourhood projects being developed in Glasgow.
RMJM has experience in a number of Games initiatives. The RMJM designed Olympic Green Convention Centre for the Beijing 2008 Games is nearing completion on Olympic Boulevard. Further afield the practice is currently working on a variety of projects in Kazakhstan, in support of their Winter Olympics bid.
