London 2012 Olympic Stadium wrap

As a major American corporate sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics, the Dow Chemical Co. was committed to the rigorous sustainability and environmental standards set by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). Dow sponsored the wrap called for by the stadium architects, Populous. A collaboration between the Cooley Group and Rainier Industries with Dow was formed to meet the fire, sustainability and performance requirements mandated by the LOCOG. To meet these requirements, Cooley produced a PVC-free, low-carbon footprint recyclable wrap to form the 306 hourglass-shaped panels, each 25m tall by 2.5m wide.

Dow turned to Rainier Industries to print and fabricate the panels, a 56-hue color scale that encircles the stadium. The panels also provided wayfinding assistance to visitors as they looked for their seats—every sixth panel displayed the section and aisle numbers.

After Dow, Cooley and Rainier manufactured and printed the panels, FabriTec Structures was called in to design detailing and engineering of the installation of the panels. A breakthrough product, Cooley’s engineered-fabric membrane (coated with resins made by Dow) showcase a durable, printable, fire retardant and recyclable fabric, now part of Cooley’s Enviroflex™ line.