Building work on the foundations of the International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre (IBC/MPC) has started, a month earlier than originally planned.

More than 2,000 concrete piles will be installed up to 24m into the ground to form the foundations of the IBC/MPC. All of the 'big five' venues are now under construction - the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Village, Velodrome and the IBC/MPC.


The IBC/MPC will be approximately 900,000 sq ft and will consist of a mixture of permanent and temporary buildings

During the Games the venue will be a 24-hour media hub for around 20,000 broadcasters, photographers and journalists - bringing the Games to an estimated four billion people worldwide. There will also be a 200m-long high street on site featuring outlets such as banks, newsagents, travel agents and a post office.

After the Games the permanent venues will provide business space with the potential to generate thousands of new jobs for residents in Hackney and more widely across London, providing huge benefits for local communities long after 2012.

(CD/JM)