Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

The 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was held from 23 July to 3 August and was the largest multi-sport event ever held in Scotland.  Around 4,950 athletes from 71 different nations and territories competed in 18 different sports across seven sites.

Requirement

After planning began in 2012, the requirement was to provide temporary structures as part of the work being done across Games venues to bolster spectator facilities.  The temporary structures were provided to supplement the existing Glasgow 2014 venues and were essential to the delivery of a safe, enjoyable and well-organised Games.

Scope of Works

In a joint venture with Field & Lawn Limited, GL events UK became Official Overlay and Temporary Structures Provider to build temporary structures at seven venues in Glasgow including at the Commonwealth Games Village that spanned 25.2sqkm.

Challenge

With seven sites across the city the challenge for this project was to complete the build not only in time for the start of the games but also without causing too much disruption across the city. With a team of forty-one on site, the build had to be completed on the 5th July 2014 allowing seventeen days before the start of the summer sporting event on the 23rd July, 2014.

Outcome

GL events UK created over 33,000 square metres of space created at seven Games venues including the Emirates Arena and adjoining Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Tollcross International Swimming Centre and a temporary squash showcourt at Scotstoun Sports Campus, complete with a 2,400-seater grandstand.

This included responsibility for the Polyclinic enclosure in the Athletes’ Village, operating 24 hours a day and providing medical services from emergency dental care to physiotherapy and sports massage services to athletes and team officials throughout the Games.

GL events UK also created a temporary outdoor broadcast suite for the regional reporters covering the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Built around a modular system, the three-storey media centre that fused six hi-cube corrugated steel modules together, offered around 60sqm of floor space on each floor.

The modules were fabricated to a bespoke design to suit the very specific requirements of Network News and the staff of Nations and Regions, incorporating a huge glazed front façade so reporters got the best views of some of Glasgow’s iconic landmarks.

Internally, each studio was fitted out to a very high specification, including acoustic partitioning throughout for the best sound quality as the latest news was fed back to TV and radio stations around Scotland and the rest of the UK. An automatic comfort cooling system was also installed to deal with the significant heat produced by the audio-visual equipment it was housing.

Hervé Rey, Head of Overlay at Glasgow 2014 Ltd commented:

“Glasgow 2014 Overlay Department had the responsibility of managing and maintaining temporary infrastructure for the Games for approximately 35 major Venues (competition and non-competition) located essentially in the area of Glasgow, but also in Edinburgh and Angus. Requirements ranged from Tents, Seating, Temporary Power, Portable Buildings, Toilets, Fencing, Exhibition Equipment, and Lighting, to ground work and Internal Build Out in existing buildings. GL events provided excellent support and your work to design, manufacture, install, maintain and remove 25 000m2 of Tents as well as our temporary Polyclinic (Commonwealth Games Village) and our temporary squash enclosure (including 2500 seats) was highly appreciated.  Your team was proactive, flexible, and supportive and your assistance in the delivery of the project was professional and efficient. GL events showed excellent organisation and the management skills needed to successfully meet the criteria of the Games.”