Architects: Rod Sheard, Philip Johnson, London Stadium Authority. The stadium is part of the London Olympics project, which also includes the Olympic Park and several other sports facilities. It was built at a cost of $440 million to host football matches and events during the Games. The stadium has received positive reviews from critics who have seen it during its construction phase. The stadium is located in East London within walking distance of Canning Town station. It replaces the old Wembley Stadium as the main Olympic stadium. The new venue can hold 75,000 people and opened on July 27, 2011. It is the first British stadium to be built since Manchester's Etihad Stadium (2005). Wembley Stadium was built for the 1960 Olympics but had to be demolished after that event ended. The new stadium has been praised for its architecture and design, with some commentators calling it the best football stadium in Europe. It is believed that English architect Sir David Beckham helped choose its design by following football games around the world and noting what teams' stadiums were like. He then took his observations back to England where he worked with engineers to come up with the idea for this new stadium.