Olympic Steps

The long ramp leading up to Wembley Stadium, known as the pedway, has been replaced by a set of iconic steps, which will be known as the Olympic Steps. The Olympic Steps – alongside the wider upgrades to Olympic Way, which have included widening it by 50%, form an integral part of the transformation of Wembley Park into London’s most exciting new neighbourhood and once complete will offer a host of benefits to our local community of residents, workers and visitors.

The pedway was built in the 1970s as a bridge over open-air coach parks that no longer exist. It is a remnant of the old Wembley Stadium which was reconstructed in 2007 to become the National Stadium we know and love today. The pedway did comply with current accessibility legislation and the ramps were too steep for wheelchair users or people with mobility problems. Dominating the heart of Wembley Park and dividing the east and west of the neighbourhood, it was an uninviting environment for residents and visitors.

The Olympic Steps are a fitting renewal to the heart of a 365-day neighbourhood filled with activity. The removal of the pedway allows for a significant extension to the recently transformed Olympic Way so it can meet Engineers Way, uniting the east and west of Wembley Park with an inviting, distinctive and accessible public space.

Where the pedway once was will soon be, open-air environment for Wembley Park’s visitors and residents to meet, take in the views of Olympic Way and enjoy the curated, vibrant neighbourhood. The Olympic Steps provide a stunning addition to Wembley Park’s acres of pedestrianised public realm.

From the community parades of Light Up The Night to celebrity performances of The Mayor of London’s International Busking Day, Olympic Way has played host to some of Wembley Park’s most exciting free events. The Olympic Steps expand and enhance this public space, allowing for more memorable moments in the heart of Wembley Park. The tree-lined Olympic Way is being significantly extended and its “Avenue of Champions” completed, with additions to its assembly of trees from across the world. Throughout the year, the undercroft of the Olympic Steps will serve as a new location for exciting enlivenments to the neighbourhood, such as art installations, buskers and open-air market stalls. Semi-translucent pavement lights will bathe the Olympic Steps undercroft with natural light, uniting the two new tiers of public space.

Importantly, the pedway did not comply with current legislation on accessibility and was not suitable for wheelchair users due to the gradient of the ramp. The very steep ramp gradient was also challenging for encumbered spectators to use including those with mobility or visual impairments, ambulant disabled, as well as those with a pushchair. The Olympic Steps project provides better access for the needs of older and disabled people with the introduction of four new lifts from ground level to the Wembley Stadium concourse. Each lift can take three wheelchairs, giving a total capacity of 12 wheelchairs at a time. The Olympic Steps have been designed after consultation with Level Playing Field, an organisation that promotes a positive, inclusive experience for disabled sports fans.

The steps have been designed to meet industry best practice and guidance alongside all relevant safety standards. Rigorous tests have taken place before the Olympic Steps are in regular use.

Yes, the Olympic Steps are due for completion in June 2021, which means they will be ready for the European Championships. From March 2021 to June 2021, landscaping and fit-out works will be undertaken to prepare the steps and their undercroft for daily use as a key addition to Wembley Park’s public space. The Olympic Steps project will be fully complete by the start of the Euros football championship in June 2021.

Quintain, the owner and developer of Wembley Park, is delivering the Olympic Steps, as part of the London Borough of Brent Area Action Plan. It has been a decade long held ambition of the council to replace the pedway with a set of steps and the project was given planning permission by Brent Council in 2018. Throughout the project Quintain has worked in collaboration with Brent Council and the FA, owners of Wembley Stadium.

As with all the active sites in Wembley Park, construction contractors are expected to follow the latest social distancing guidelines. All contractors are operating to the CLC (Construction Leadership Council) Site Operating Procedures to keep sites open with increased health and safety protocols. As the developer of Wembley Park, Quintain remains vigilant in maintaining contractor standards in this regard.