Whether you have ever been to London, or not, you have probably seen The Mall on television in some of the major sporting events and formal ceremonies in England. This icon of London is planning an incredible red carpet treatment for the athletes of the 2012 Olympic Games, and it seems it is right up their alley for excellence in presentation and awe. The red coloring of the surface has a visual effect of a huge red carpet, which offers a wonderful appeal for those Marathon and Race Walk athletes as well as the Paralympic and Road Cycling athletes of the games. It is anticipated that almost eighty athletes will participate in each race.
The original procession route of The Mall was actually created early in the 20th century, and was designed as a welcome arena for the royal family as well as the heads of state that were visiting the Buckingham Palace. The Mall actually encompasses the path of Buckingham Palace to the western end of Admiralty Arch and then on to Trafalgar Square at the eastern end.
The Mall was a major view during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and then on her birthday in June. Everyone that followed the broadcast viewed this well known area for the celebration. After this time, the planners have set aside thirty six days for the erection of structures that will be temporarily needed for the Olympic Games. These structures are quite impressive, as they include seating for spectators, electronic scoreboards, tents, video boards and generators as well as cabins. It is important to note that the marathons that will be presented are free events, but there will be ticket applications for those that want to view in closer areas. The electronic scoreboards and video board will be erected so that they are easily viewed by everyone, with electronic feeds online and via network broadcast for everyone around the world.
Besides just the incredible history of The Mall, it also includes many stadiums of world-class levels, and infrastructure as well as recreational facilities of elite status. The interior portion is crescent shaped, encircling around an arcade shaped in a triple-decker style. The outside offers an avenue that leads to the Olympic Park from a starting point of Stratford Station all the way to Aquatic Center, the park and the stadium. The Mall is aptly names as it includes an incredible array of around one millions square feet of shopping opportunities for all of the visitors to the London Games. It boasts approximately three hundred retail shops, 70 restaurants and a huge 14-screen cinema. This is added to the 3 hotels, the largest casino in the United Kingdom and the bowling alley.
In the true tradition of everything British, the presentation is elegant, world class and of the highest excellence. While The Mall has been planned to be one of the focal points of The Games, it is just the tip of the ice burg for the entire gala event.