Indoor Ski Resort Mooted For 2012 Media Centre

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 157 months ago
Indoor Ski Resort Mooted For 2012 Media Centre


Straight out of the big book of British brainwaves, this one: Midlands-based firm Acer Snowmec have "expressed an interest" in turning the Olympic media centre into a permanent indoor ski resort once the Games are over.

The question of what to do with the building — dubbed by one mischievous blog as the ugliest in the Olympic Park —  has been vexing 2012 legacy chiefs for a while now. Tucked into an unfavourable corner of the Stratford site, and without an obvious post-Games purpose, there have been suggestions that the £330 million structure could be torn down. Which might explain why this wacky idea is being discussed.

Acer Snowmec have experience in the field: they operate plenty of indoor ski runs, including those in international destinations such as Dubai and, er, Milton Keynes. Their plan, which could cost £40 million, would create five indoor slopes, covering advanced runs, a cross-country course, and a superpipe. There would also be provisions for ice skating and curling.

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How the media centre will look in 2012

Is the ski centre a viable proposal for the building? Or will we be chuckling about this idea in a few year, remembering it as one of the many capricious ideas for east London that never made the grade (see also: the Victoria Park urban beach, the Silvertown surf centre, the new Silicon Valley, and the cross-Thames cable car, which has just been put on what could be a permanent hiatus).

The Olympic Park Legacy Committee are currently soliciting expressions of interest from parties seeking to take over the centre, and a formal bidding process will begin next month.

See also:

Our recent tour of the Olympic Park

Last Updated 16 February 2011