Darryl Chamberlain

Woolwich Common’s Olympic venue takes shape


The Olympic shooting venue on Woolwich Common is fast taking shape, with the distinctive holes in the side of the temporary structures.


The venue will have to be finished by the spring, with a test event, the ISSF World Cup, planned for 18-28 April. But one thing’s still missing from the site…



Sadly, there’s still no indication to passers-by that this is going to be an Olympic venue. Is the Olympic Delivery Authority – which is constructing this rather than LOCOG – ashamed of Woolwich or something? They’ve had four months to dress the battleship grey hoardings, or at least put the odd sign up. Instead, for many, what’s going on is a mystery. (And one which has shut off a very handy cycle lane.)

I took these photos the evening before the riots, but somehow they seem a little more timely now. Particularly with the events of last week, it’d be good to see the ODA get off its backside and start making this place something Woolwich can shout about. It needs it at the moment.

6 comments

  1. Saw this building site on my way to the QE yesterday. There are no signs up to say what is going on here! We guessed at something to do with the Olympics. Very borong grey hoardings. surely the general public are entitled to know what on earth is going to be built on what is common land.

  2. I drive down Ha Ha Road every other day and knew all about it, but I agree there’s no clue at all as to what is going on.

    I would say those hoardings are perfect material for local schooplkids to do a big olympic mural or somesuch before they get tagged all over.

  3. I too pass these buildings every day on my way to work and it drives me absolutely nuts not to know what these are… hence I started searching the web to find out what these are. I got a sense from the begining that these are temporary buildings since they are made of wood and plastic with just the support structure made of metal… WelI, I can relax now that I know… 🙂 Thanks

  4. The olympic committee is guilty of withdrawing information from we South Easterners for no plausible reason.
    First they took over the grounds of Woolwich artillery barracks and a huge swathe of the commons and no sign is pu up to explain what is takuing shape.
    Is it such a shameful act to put up a huge sign saying it’s an olympic site foir whatever eventthey wish to use it for?
    It is such a wonderful thing for our locality to be chosen an an Olympic venue and we want the whole world to know about it so please put up an appropriate sign.

  6. It’s appalling the way locals havent been told what is going on with the builidng on Woolwich Common. This is common land, therefore belongs to the people, so shouldn’t we have had a say in this?

    The eyesore which is built, looking like a giant tardis on one side and some constuction on the other, looks awful. Will these eyesores be taken down again?

    Also how are people going to get back and forth along HaHa Road and to the Hospital?

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