The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) confirmed yesterday that Dow will manufacture the problem-beset stadium wrap, which has been an on-off feature of the Olympic Park since it was dropped last year to save production costs.
Originally planned as a 900m-long, 20m-high curtain, the wrap will now consist of 336 panels, each approximately 25m high and 2.5m wide. A London 2012 spokesman said that Dow, LOCOG and Populous, which designed and built the stadium, had started discussions about the graphic design for the finished panels.
Once the design is finalised, the panels will be manufactured by Dow and printed using UV-curable inks. The wrap itself will include post-industrial recycled content and resins made by Dow's Performance Plastics Division and will be up to 35% lighter and have a lower carbon footprint versus conventional materials.
Dow was unavailable for comment at the time of writing, so it is not yet known how the contract to print what will become the graphic visual centre piece of the Olympic Park will be awarded.
LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe welcomed the announcement of Dow as the sponsor for the project. "The stadium will look spectacular at Games time and having the wrap is the icing on the cake," he added.
In keeping with LOCOG’s goal to stage a sustainable Olympic Games, Dow will repurpose the wrap following the 2012 Olympic competitions and the hardware used to hang the wrap will be recycled in Europe following the Games.
The appointment of Dow to fund and produce the wrap follows the announcement of a tender process in February in the wake of "significant interest" in the project from the private sector.
The decision to target private sector funding came after an aborted plan, proposed by Absolute Radio, to finance the wrap by covering it with 700,000 Facebook profile pictures, paid for by individuals at £10 per image.
Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson said: "At the Comprehensive Spending Review last autumn, the government could see the benefit of the wrap but did not feel the taxpayer should pay for it as we looked to make savings across the project. But I am delighted that a private sector company has taken up the opportunity which will become a major feature of the Olympic Stadium."
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson added: "This will provide the final grand touch to the magnificent stadium, which has already become an icon of the 2012 Games, transforming the east London landscape forever."
George Hamilton, vice president of Dow Olympic Operations, said the company was committed to finding a sustainable post-Games use for the wrap and was already investigating several options.
"We’re providing this wrap as a sustainable solution for the Games and we look forward to celebrating its completion with Olympic fans around the world," he said. "We’re proud that the wrap will have a lasting and sustainable legacy, and one that will improve quality of life long after the closing ceremonies."
"Dow has a strong commitment to sustainability, as documented in our 2015 sustainability goals," added Keith Wiggins, Dow UK managing director.
"This commitment and our focus on innovation and scientific excellence are behind every stitch of the wrap. We’re proud that the wrap will be in compliance with the LOCOG Sustainability Source Code. We recognize the global importance of the Olympic Games and of the work we do in addressing global challenges through chemistry."
In July 2010, Dow announced its official Worldwide Olympic Partnership as part of The Olympic Partners Program (TOP). As the official "Chemistry Company" of the Olympic Movement, Dow is partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and National Olympic Committees around the world through 2020.
