31 May 2013

London Olympic Stadium to have revamp

12:25 pm on 31 May 2013

London's Olympic Stadium is set for a major refurbishment after the London Legacy Development Corporation approved plans for an $860 million makeover.

The East London venue, which witnessed Olympic successes by athletes such as Usain Bolt and Mo Farah last year, is to have its capacity reduced from 80,000 to 60,000 in works that were unanimously approved by the LLDC's planning committee.

The plans include the introduction of a lower tier of removable seating, which will necessitate the extension of the roof, as well as the re-use of lighting towers.

English Premier League football club West Ham United are scheduled to move into the stadium as permanent tenants in 2016, while the arena will also host 2015 Rugby World Cup matches and the 2017 World Athletics Championships.