The London Olympics takes shape

The miracle of completion is beginning to occur at the east London Olympic Park, in which pristine finishes emerge from the seeming chaos. Work on the stadium, by Team McAlpine Consortium, is well advanced compared with the venues of previous games at a similar stage Photograph: Alex Sturrock The London stadium is less spectacular than Beijing's Bird's Nest Olympic venue; it has a simplicity rarely seen in modern arenas, which are usually engulfed in corporate facilities and conference suites Photograph: Alex Sturrock Twenty months before the Games start, the stadium seating is in place. Test events will be held at the various venues in 2011 Photograph: Alex Sturrock The 12,000-seat Basketball Arena, designed by Wilkinson Eyre, is a temporary structure, to be taken down after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is hoped to re-use up to two-thirds of its structure on other sites Photograph: Alex Sturrock The dramatic wave-like roof of Zaha Hadid's Aquatic Centre is now in place. The building marks one of the main entrances to the Olympic site, from Stratford underground and Eurostar stations, and the new Stratford City shopping mall. Temporary extensions on either side will give it a capacity of 17,500, to be reduced to 2,500 after the games Photograph: David Goddard/Getty The River Lee runs past the Aquatics Centre Photograph: Alex Sturrock The energy centre, designed by John McAslan and Partners, was completed last month. Its purpose is to supply 'environmentally considerate' power to the Olympic site, both during and after the Games. It is also designed as a landmark for surrounding areas Photograph: Alex Sturrock The 6000-seat velodrome, by Hopkins and Partners, has already earned a nickname: 'the pringle' Photograph: Alex Sturrock The velodrome architects say they wanted to emulate the lean efficiency and the 'tautness and energy' of cycle racing. Their design aims to to keep wasted materials to a minimum, while allowing ample daylight into the interior. The roof, formed by a net of cables infilled with plywood, echoes the undulating form of the timber track Photograph: Alex Sturrock Photograph: Action images The velodrome's sloping, curving timber track Photograph: Alex Sturrock A platoon of contruction workers on cherry pickers add wooden panels to the velodrome as it nears completion Photograph: Alex Sturrock The exterior of the velodrome, with the temporary basketall arena in the background Photograph: Alex Sturrock The black brick box of the critically acclaimed Olympic Park electrical substation by the architects Nord Photograph: Steve Bates/Getty The substation was the first building on the Olympic Park to be completed Photograph: Steve Bates/Getty