Aerial view of the Stadium during the Games. Credit: London 2012.

The design for London’s Olympic Stadium, the flagship venue for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has been revealed by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

Based on a sunken bowl, the unique 80,000 seat stadium will be the centre-piece for the 2012 Games hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the athletics events, converting down to a 25,000 seat permanent stadium after the Games when it will become a new home for athletics, combined with other sporting, community and educational uses.

Olympic Committee chairman Lord Seb Coe described it as a “stadium for a completely new era that will be inspiring and have a lasting legacy”.

The ODA also plans to start the construction of the venue ahead of schedule by up to three months in April or May, with completion in 2011 to allow for test events.

The stadium build is being led by construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd in a partnership including architect HoK Sport and consulting engineer Buro Happold. It will be delivered for a budget of £496m, including inflation and VAT, in line with the budget announced by the Government in March.

Two temporary bridges have been installed on the stadium area, which is largely an island site surrounded by waterways. These construction bridges will play a key role in minimising disruption to local residents by reducing the number of lorries on public roads and bridges

Senior Principal architect from HOK Sport, Rod Sheard said: “The design is a response to the challenge of creating the temporary and the permanent at the same time - that is the essence of the design for the stadium. A new era of Olympic Stadium design will be launched in 2012, demonstrating how a successful event can be blended with the long term needs of a community.”