When the Olympics comes to town, it’s not just the athletes going through their paces. Years before the torch touches down, the backhoes come to town to create a city fit for the world’s sporting elite. As the first week of the London Olympics draws to a close, The Big Project takes a look at the budgets and facts behind the last five games

London

Initial budget: £9.3bn, public funding

Final cost: The BBC reports that “£476m of the contingency funding left, according to new government figures.”

Interesting fact: Over the duration of the 120 construction projects required for the London Olympics, only one dispute was lodged, which was resolved without going to court.

It’s a very different result to the one the construction industry and media were both poised for considering the Wembley Stadium project fiasco, which hit financing problems within its first 12 months and faced major delays.

During the project British broadsheet The Guardian reported that contractor Multiplex was fined £120,000 for every day the project was delayed beyond handover, with the reasons for delay ranging from contract disputes to the wrong concrete being poured into the foundations.

An analysis of the reasons why and how Qatar can avoid the same problems will feature in the new look Big Project Middle East, in September.

 

Beijing

Initial budget: $40.9 billion for “city development, infrastructure, transport systems and ecology” and $1.9 billion on construction facilities

Final cost: The Beijing games were billed as “the most expensive to date” largely due to Beijing’s basic infrastructure needs and a steep increase in commodity prices, but still came in over budget.

Interesting fact: In 2008 a report was launched after an article in The Sunday Times alleged 10 construction workers had died onsite during the Birdnest Stadium project and other workers instructed not to talk about the deaths. China vehemently denied a cover up and launched an investigation, which confirmed there had been six deaths over the last five years; two of the fatal accidents took place at the Birdnest site.

At the peak of the project it was recorded there were 17,000 workers on site.

 

Athens

Initial budget:  €4.5 bn, with 39.7% allocated to infrastructure and 29.9% on sport venues and equipment

Final cost: Estimated to reach €8.954bn(state and private funding)

Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis described the final bill for bringing the Olympic Games back to their homeland “substantially overshot the budget”. It was reported the budget had doubled from original estimates.

Interesting fact: Nikos Athanassakis, spokesman for opposition party PASOK accused Alogoskoufis of “political fraud” over the cost of the games and the transparency of which construction projects should come under the Olympic bill. There were also accusations that tax generated from increased business over the course of the games had not been counted in government figures.

 

Sydney

Final cost: The total construction programme was pegged at A$2.241bn  with A$1.7bn of this allocated to the Olympic Park.

Interesting fact: With a 110,000 spectator capacity, Stadium Australia was the largest Olympic stadium ever. Construction was complete in less than three years and the stadium boasted energy efficient systems, enhanced ventilation and natural lighting. Officials said low toxicity building materials were to be used during construction projects and that both rainwater and construction waste would be recycled.

 

Atlanta

Final cost $2bn

Interesting fact: Only 100 days before the games were due to begin, critical press reported the city was still mired with construction sites. One article in the New York Times even stated: “Atlanta’s new 21-acre Centennial Park would be usable only if the International Olympic Committee added mud wrestling as a demonstration sport.”

Then mayor Bill Campbell was quoted as responding: “It’s all coming together very nicely… I think the city looks terrific if one can find beauty in construction cranes and renovated sidewalks and lights that haven’t been installed just yet, housing that’s almost completed. It’s very much like watching a work of art where you’re putting on the finishing touches.”