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London 2012 Olympic Parklands and Public Realm: Legacy Public Landscape
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London 2012 Olympic Parklands and Public Realm
Legacy Public Landscape Text by Neil Mattinson and Gavin McMillan Images by LDA Design 1. Fantasticolgy Meadows formed by annual seeding laid out as an abstract image and memory of former land uses of the site.
CITYGREEN #6 A Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology Publication
The Park in numbers is 6,200 trees, 9,500 shrubs, 63,000 bulbs, 250,000 wetland plants, 766,000 grasses and ferns, together with 650 bird and bat boxes! Altogether they represent over 48 hectares of new habitat.
Touted as Europe’s most significant landscape for the next 150 years,
construction in March 2012, partly because of its sheer scale, it being
the London 2012 Olympic Park and 2.5-square-kilometre Paralympic
the largest urban park development in the UK in the last 100 years.
Park formed the centre piece for the world’s most sustainable Olympic
The heavily contaminated and derelict site had been previously
Games to date. It created a dramatic setting for the Olympic Games’
occupied by battery and match-making factories, and had been
venues that enriched all visitors’ experience.
both a post-war munitions dump and municipal rubbish dump, which required substantial cleansing and a restorative programme in order
As the largest new urban park in the capital since the Victorian era, at
to be fit for its purpose.
102 hectares large, it has acted as a catalyst for regeneration in East London. This project demonstrates that landscape architects in their
Over the past four years, some 250 acres of new park space had been
key roles as clients, master planners, designers, and engineering team
created from this former heavily industrialised landscape. The Park in
leaders can champion the process and how green infrastructure in a
numbers is 6,200 trees, 9,500 shrubs, 63,000 bulbs, 250,000 wetland
world city like London could be the principal driver for place-creation,
plants, 766,000 grasses and ferns, together with 650 bird and bat
value-creation, and addressing climate change.
boxes! Altogether they represent over 48 hectares of new habitat.
Landscape Design from Concept to Details
The hour-glass shape of the site naturally divides the park into
After planning approvals were secured and earthworks had
a strongly ecological and green northern half and a more urban,
commenced, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) sought a fresh
entertainment-focused southern half, intended to grow into a “South
approach and appointed LDA Design and Hargreaves Associates in
Bank” in the east of the capital. The two halves are connected by
2008 to take the parklands and public realm from a good design to
over five kilometres of improved riverbanks including the previously
great design. The collaboration brought together the best talents of
canalised River Lea.
the UK in LDA Design and with Hargreaves Associate’s experience of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Park that was markedly the first “Green
The Parkland emphasised and resulted in a reduction of the concourse
Games”.
and increase in park land, without adversely affecting crowd movement, safety, or comfort. With the shallower river valley profile,
Underpinning the early design concept was a vision not only to stage
the park becomes more accessible, both visually and physically.
the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London, but also of
The shallower gradient enabled a graded route to be created that is
the lasting legacy that this prestige will deliver. Many challenges had
accessible to all. This made the park more usable and offered greater
to be overcome before the master plan for the park could begin
opportunities for biodiversity.
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London 2012 Olympic Parklands and Public Realm: Legacy Public Landscape
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Sustainability The Park formed the backdrop to the most sustainable Games to date and has seen one of the most contaminated brownfield sites in London transformed to sustainable green space. Sustainability has been integral to create venues, facilities, and infrastructure for the Games that would leave a lasting social, economic, and environmental legacy for London and the UK. To achieve its sustainability goals, the ODA set itself and its contractors working on a comprehensive range of targets that were embedded in systems, processes, tools, and the culture of the project. The key achievements included: • 63 percent (by weight) of the construction materials were transported to the Olympic Park by rail or water. • 98 percent of the material from the Olympic Park's demolition work was reclaimed for reuse and recycling. • More than 650 bird and bat boxes were installed across the Olympic 2. View of the North Park looking towards the temporary Basketball venue and with the Athlete’s the Village beyond. 3. View of the Spectator Lawn and Temperate Americas section of 2012 Gardens from the entrance bridge looking towards the Orbit. 4. View from the Orbit down to Western Europe and Mediterranean section of 2012 Gardens and bespoke seating units.
Park, including within bridge structures and on the “brown roof” of the Main Press Centre. Six key areas of objectives included: • Energy • Water • Waste • Materials • Biodiversity • Environmental Impact
5. View south west from the Orbit over the Concourse to Fantasticolgy Meadows. 6. Visitors enjoying the Spectator Lawns in 2012 Gardens Park.
The determination to make 2012 the greenest-ever Olympic Games meant that energy consumption was to be an important part of the sustainability strategy to reduce carbon emissions. Every aspect
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from the shower systems used in the Olympic Village to the use
New habitats comprise wet and dry woodland, species-rich grasslands
of renewable energy and lighting optimised the opportunities for
and meadows, brownfield habitats that reflect the urban past, ponds,
efficient water and energy use.
reedbeds, and marsh. Specific habitat features or wildlife installations have also been designed into the Park to support the key species
Approximately 100 hectares of open space was designed to reduce
identified within the Olympic Park Biodiversity Action Plan. These
the risk of flooding in the river valley and enrich the biodiversity of
include, among others, otters, kingfishers, water voles, bats, swifts,
the area. Some 5,500 homes have since been removed from the
sand martins, amphibians, reptiles, and a range of invertebrates. Over
“At Risk” Register for potential flooding as a consequence of these
4,000 semi-mature trees and 250,000 wetland plants have been
sustainable actions.
added, as well as the wildflower meadows—resulting in 45 hectares of new habitat created so supporting a broad range of insects, mammals,
Further, birds, bats, lizards and other species were relocated,
and birds.
demolished materials re-used, over a million cubic metres of soil cleaned on site in “soil hospitals”, over 90,000 truck movements
The previously canalised River Lea has also been transformed into
saved off-site, and state-of-the-art, sustainable technologies ensured
a three- dimensional mosaic of wetland, swales, wet woodland, dry
and embedded in venues.
woodland, and meadow, together forming an absorbent flood-control measure and ensuring that no spoil has had to be removed.
Designing for Biodiversity The landscape architects worked closely with the ecologists, planners,
Planting
and landscape engineers to create designs for habitat and species
Wildflower meadows provided a dramatic backdrop to the parkland
that would deliver the Biodiversity Action Plan objectives, whilst also
landscape.
meeting the varying wider objectives for the Park. This meant creating a park that would have the visual delight and meet the expectations
Extensive trials were carried out to produce special seed mixes to
of a Games display, supplemented by its Post-Games Transformation
flower on site on a scale not seen before. One of the main challenges
to meet the varying objectives of a public park.
was ensuring that the annual flowering of the meadows could be delayed from the usual June to late July to coincide with the timing
Ecological experience and expertise assisted in designing, creating,
of the Games.
and then managing habitats. The architects’ knowledge of the ecological requirements of the key species has been vital to achieving
Not only were these meadow swathes highly attractive to visitors,
workable and effective design solutions in a challenging and high-
they also helped to provide variation to the landscape structure,
profile setting.
which in turn helped to drive the biodiversity on-site. The aim was not to model meadow stereotypes but to ensure that the result woud be
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London 2012 Olympic Parklands and Public Realm: Legacy Public Landscape
Plan of the London 2012 Olympics Parkland
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8. Evening view across a stand of agapanthus in the Southern Hemisphere section of the 2012 Gardens to the temporary Water Polo venue and with the Aquatics Centre beyond. 9. View of North Park looking towards Velodrome.
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London 2012 Olympic Parklands and Public Realm: Legacy Public Landscape
exciting to look at as well as good for diversity. The seed mixes used
leaves national benefits in culture, sport, volunteering, business, and
were all fit for purpose—quality seeds, less than two years old.
tourism. The landscape was fundamental not only for the Olympics but also the long-term future of the area, so that people will enjoy it
Early procurement of trees and plants had to be ensured, in order
long after the Olympic Games.
to create as much time as possible for the landscape to mature by the start of the Games. Alongside the less formal Parkland landscape,
The Park has now become a network of living green that offers links
the London 2012 Olympic Gardens provide a more structured
between the communities to the east and west and combines a
journey through the discovery and development of cultivated plants
vibrant mix of recreational and educational activities in an attractive
over the past 500 years and the roles they play in the biodiversity
setting. The open space will become even more accessible after the
of cities. Developed into four zones, the Gardens feature structural
Games via a network of canal towpaths, footpaths, and cycleways.
strips of plants from Western Europe, Temperate Americas, Southern Hemisphere, and Temperate Asia.
To be named the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 2013 on, the Parkland will extend outwards to existing green spaces, creating
Post-Games Transformation
a network that will reach out to the Hackney marshes in the north,
One of the unique selling points of the London Olympic bid was
to Victoria Park in the west, and to the Greenway in the south.
a commitment to deliver regeneration. Thus, temporary venues,
Post-games, the canals and waterways of the River Lea will be
structures, and areas of concourse will be removed to make way for
cleaned and widened, and the natural floodplains of the area will be
permanent parkland, designed to fit with the legacy master plan for
restored to provide a new wetland habitat for wildlife for birdwatchers
the wider area. This will complete the transformation of one of the
and ecologists to enjoy. All the world-class sports facilities will be
most contaminated brownfield sites in the capital into a stunning new
adapted for use by sports clubs and the local community as well as
park for East London.
elite athletes. New playing fields sitting alongside these facilities will also be adapted for community use.
The Park was designed to provide world-class landscapes and facilities during the Games and, with minimal cost and effort, transform into
The stunning transformation of one of the most contaminated
the post-Games park that will continue to provide valued habitats
brownfield sites in the capital has given local communities better
within a vibrant, attractive, modern, and sustainable park that can be
access to high quality green space and recreational facilities. Through
enjoyed by people as a place to relax, play, and exercise.
high quality and creative design, a clear new green character and identity have been created. East London has been fundamentally
Post-Games, the two areas of the parkland have different aims with
transformed from a neglected brownfield into a vibrant, sustainable
the northern part focusing on the ecology and habitats and the
park, which will have a positive impact on the area for years to come.
southern park being a focus for events and activities. Ultimately, for future generations the Park will be an exemplar for
Legacy Design
future restoration projects—demonstrating that buildings may come
As mentioned, from the outset the vision was to create a sustainable
and go but green and grey infrastructure can lead and frame the
legacy for London and the UK. Social, environmental, and economic
sustainable development of cities.
legacies will enhance the lives of generations to come as the Park
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10. View enjoyed by thousands of visitors to the Games from the main Park entrance bridge over the 2012 Gardens. 11. Along the Southern Hemisphere section of the 2012 Gardens with the sculptural Halo Lights punctuating the skyline. 12. Evening view of the floodlit Stadium from Southern Hemisphere section of the 2012 Gardens with Kniphofia (Red Hot Pokers) in full bloom in the foreground.
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