The Flatpack Games

It looks as though the 2012 Olympics will owe something to Ikea for the ideas now being produced - this from newsdesk.org:

The Olympic Torch makes a world tour, why not an Olympic stadium?

The Guardian is reporting that organizers of the London 2012 Olympics are planning to build a so-called flatpack stadium, which could be partly dismantled and shipped to another location.
According to the Guardian, London organizers have spoken about the proposal with planners for Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics.

The paper quoted Chicago organizer Doug Arnott as saying: "If we could box it up and ship it to the next games, that's something that could benefit the Olympic movement. This is to do with the responsible use of materials and trying to avoid leaving infrastructure that will burden a city."

The Guardian posits that such re-use of materials could open up the possibility of developing nations hosting future Olympic Games.

But another spokesman for Chicago's 2016 bid discounted the Guardian's report.

"We have not had discussions with them about purchasing seats or moving any seats over at this point," Patrick Sandusky told the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune also quoted Arnott as saying: "Seats don't make a lot of sense. They are readily available and readily disposable."

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Not a bad idea, really, especially as it looks as though there will be another raid on the funds due to the decrease in property values. It is calculated that there will be some 4,000 accommodation units - mostly flats and apartments - for the athletes and officials built in the East End of London, which will subsequently be made available for public use. With falling property prices, and the fact that developers are no longer looking for new construction work generally, there is concern that costs of construction will exceed eventual proceeds, particularly after the time lag between the two is taken into account.

It is worth adding that another website - GamesBids.com - is saying that it is unlikely that such a move with regard to the stadium between London and Chicago is unlikely with regard to seating. They also said no discussions relating to the transfer of a stadium have taken place, and that it would be dependent upon costs of transport.