Blackout curtains chosen for London 2012 Athletes’ Village
Determined to ensure that the athletes completing at London 2012 were able to sleep, organisers decided to used blackout curtains as a way of allowing athletes to sleep well, whatever the time of day.
As many of the athletes would be coming from different time zones and undoubtedly suffering from jet lag, organisers fitted blackout curtains so athletes could block out the sun from their rooms whenever they needed to.
It is believed that 16,000 athletes and coaches stayed in the Athletes’ Village during London 2012. The Village covered 36 hectares and there were a staggering 2,818 apartments in 11 separate plots. The accommodation varies from one bedroom apartments to four and five bed townhouses. This will all be converted into residential accommodation after London 2012.
Stone colours, concrete greys and darker tones were chosen, along with some wood and balconies in opaque green and clear glass.
Rooms featured bedside cabinets and coffee tables and single beds, with London 2012 bedding. Foam block loungers and beanbags were provided for relaxing on. Rooms came with Freeview televisions and plenty of internet points. Kitchens were designed with a retro-theme and café-style tables and chairs were put on the balconies.
Athletes were able to stay connected to the Games, even from their rooms, as there were views of the Olympic Park from all around the village.
Athletes were also provided with a dining area, that served food such as halal, Mediterranean, kosher, African, Caribbean, Indian – in fact, almost everything you could think of. Menus were designed in consultation with dieticians and sport nutritionists. It is believed that 1.2 million meals were served during the Games.
For rest and relaxation, athletes were provided with pool tables, a soft-drink only bar and a 12,000m gym, with 750 pieces of equipment and 100 personal trainers. As some athletes would be able to celebrate their performance at London 2012 and completely relax before others, it was felt that blackout curtains would help those athletes that still needed plenty of sleep get a good night’s sleep.
