Architectural Criticism - Essay Example

Conventionally, each structural designer would wish to demonstrate considerable styles of modernity in his or her work (Roper 13). This explains why modern buildings convey aspects of contemporary art and delusional creativity. Practically, ideologies motivating advancement in architecture result from dynamics within the consumer market. Public and private consumers need real estate assets with unique aesthetic value. In this regard, we will appraise a current architectural development within the public platform, and understand the depth and breadth of objective concerns underlying such developments.

The London Olympic Stadium In the recent past, London 2012 Olympic Stadium featured as one of the most controversial architectural design in the world. The 80,000 capacity stadium is located in Stratford’s Olympic park, in England. Its sole purpose of construction was to host final track and field events for the concluded 2012 Olympic Games. It is famous for hosting numerous elite political and social personalities during the opening ceremonies, including the iconic sky fall of James Bond. This stadium was designed by Sir Robert McAlpine in 2007.

McAlpine was previously known for playing a supportive role in designing the spectacular Wembley Stadium in England (Lewis 28). After completion of all design prospects, construction commenced in November 2008 and ended in February 2011. Upon completion, the stadium’s design capacity was estimated at 80,000, with 25,000 permanent seats and 55,000 temporary ones. Apart from the sitting space, the facility also housed numerous changing rooms, parking garages and toilets for participating athletes and spectators.

Architectural Facts about the Stadium On completion, Olympic Stadium was identified as one of the most spectacular public structures in the world. Such credit results from the fact that the stadium has unique architectural designs, with significant touch of fantasy and modernity. All the 55,000 temporary seats are located on the top tier, which is detachable from the main part of the stadium. After completion of the games, the top tier was removed leaving only 25,000 seats on the lower decks (Roper 16).

The aspect of including a dismountable upper deck was meant to address the issue of rigidity or permanence of the structure after Olympics. It was possible that Stratford would not get another foreseeable opportunity to host major sporting events like the 2012 summer games. With respect to this premise, designers would dismantle the structure into a small stadium with a conventional capacity for local events. Above the removable tier was a cable-supported roof made of glass. According to the design specifications, transparency of the roof would eliminate the need of artificial illumination during daytime events.

Both the upper tier and the roof were supported by lightweight steel frames and low-carbon concrete (Bullivant 01). Actually, concrete used contained approximately 40% less carbon compared to normal concrete. This technical specification was meant to enhance implementation of green energy principles in sporting events. Use of low-carbon concrete is in line with England’s goals of promoting use of renewable energy sources. Despite its role in addressing green energy objectives, low-carbon concrete offers less structural strength compared to normal concrete.

In addition, lightweight steel frames used for support the roof compromised further on structural