Balfour bags £242m aquatics centre

Balfour Beatty has won the £242m contract to build the 2012 Olympics’ controversial aquatics Centre, pushing the total cost for all permanent London Olympic structures to over £1bn.

The deal, announced by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), includes a main swimming pool, diving pool and training pool, plus a 250m bridge connecting to the adjacent Stratford City development, which carries an additional £61m price tag.

The total £303m sum represents a four-fold increase on the originally estimated £75m acquatics budget contained in London’s bid document sent to the International Olympic Committee. Defending the deal one source told Building magazine: ‘Balfour are not taking the ODA to the cleaners with this, the treasury has given it final approval.’

Building said Balfour is understood to want to keep most subcontracting on the project in house, employing Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering and Haden Young for piling works, ground improvement and M&E work.

The ODA also announced that the velodrome would cost £80m to build, twice the sum quoted in the Olympic bid, while Carillion’s contract for the £400m media centre still hangs in the air as main backer Barclays Bank finalises a funding package.

In related news, framework architects for the £2bn Olympic village have been angered by news that three practices from outside the 47-strong framework list have been appointed to work on the scheme. Building reported that Make Architects and Ian Simpson will design signature towers for the village, while Australia’s Bligh Voller Nield (BVN) will work alongside Patel Tayor on designs for two or 14 residential blocks.