Balancing Games

The president of the Royal Institute of British Architects has raised fears of a "tarmac and plasterboard" Olympiad in 2012. Of course this will never do. A British Olympics consisting of anything more substantial than scaffolding, hot air and police checks just wouldn't be British enough. The Secretary for Cultchah, Meedjah and Commentary Box Jingoism has attempted to assuage the architects' concerns by promising "a legacy" (ah, that word again) "of quality design". To facilitate this enviable upcomingness, "the Olympic Delivery Authority has been asked to come up with design competitions that will open up the games to national and international talent". If national talent doesn't suffice, perhaps we can get the Chinese to build our stadium for us. A further competition, aimed at schools in east London, will "encourage children to explain what sort of facilities would inspire them to take up mountain biking or BMX racing", to the inestimable engorgement of our national pride. The request for ideas for possible competitions for potential designs is motivated by "concerns that imaginative designs for the London 2012 venues and Olympic village would be jeopardised by attempts to control the budget". Perish the thought. The Secretary for Cultchah, Meedjah and Not Winning But Taking Part has said that "the government had to balance good design with getting facilities built within budget and on time". Since the taxpayers will be paying and private companies will be profiting, no doubt we can safely disregard the budgetary aspect; but given New Labour's various balancing acts (law against profit for arms dealers, public health against profit for pharmaceutical companies, species survival against profit for airlines, and so forth) it will be interesting to see which is the greater concern: how fast it all goes up, or how long it takes to fall down.