FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Plans Approved for 'Ecology Themed' Community Hub
The London Legacy Development Corporation will create a community hub in
the north of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after plans were approved
yesterday.
Set within the lush parklands of the North Park, the community building and
play space will become a centre for visitors and themed on the local
ecology.
It will boast some of the most imaginative play facilities in the UK as
children will be able to build dens, grow plants and investigate insects,
or climb trees and play on a series of platform walkways, slides and
bridges connected to trees. There will also be sand and water play
activities where budding engineers can create dams and locks to mimic the
changes made to the River Lea after the Games.
They will be centred around a hub building with a café, reception area,
offices, toilets and a flexible space that can be used by schools and
community groups. It will be timber clad to fit in with the natural
environment with solar panels added to its roof for green energy.
The plans, which were approved last night by the Olympic Delivery
Authority's Planning Committee , have been designed by erect architecture
which won a competition to design the scheme. The London Marathon
Charitable Trust will be contributing to the cost of the play area.
The North Park will open in phases in 2013 with the South Park opening in
spring 2014.
Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development
Corporation, said:
"The North Park will be the first area of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
to open from July 2013. It will be one of the most beautiful green spaces
in London with wetlands, clean waterways and beautiful parklands for
everyone to enjoy."
"This hub will be at the heart of community life. We have designed an area
that not only serves visitors, but encourages them to learn about the
natural environment around them."
"The decision to approve our plans means we can start work on the community
building and play space after the Games finish. It is another example of
how London is further ahead in planning legacy than any previous Olympic
Host City."
John Bryant, Chairman of the London Marathon Charitable Trust, said:
"The Trust is delighted to be a major legacy funder of the North Hub Play
Area. We are pleased that our £1 million grant for the extended play area
will allow children of all ages to stretch their minds and bodies, using
nature as a playground and taking on physical challenges that will build
confidence and fitness.
"We are happy, too, to confirm our continued commitment to the provision of
legacy facilities at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park where, in addition to
the North Hub Park, the London Marathon Trust will be funding work at the
VeloPark, the Aquatics Centre and the Community Athletics Track, all of
which will help to achieve so much for the true legacy of the London 2012
Olympics - one which has been shared by the Trust for over 30 years - to
ensure a lasting benefit for the whole community"
Barbara Kaucky, Director at Erect Architecture said:
"We are excited to be working with the London Legacy Development
Corporation as we share a vision of creating a hub building and play park.
We are confident that the facilities will become a go-to location for both
locals and visitors from further afield.
"As local architects, the extraordinary Olympic project has been growing on
our doorstep. It is a great feeling to be able to play a role in ensuring
that the Games leave behind a sustainable legacy."
The community hub will cover 1.75 hectares in total, with the building 550
sq m in area. Its café will seat 72 people inside and a further 120
outside. The 140 sq m of flexible space can be split into two separate
rooms for community use or lessons.
The outside space will include a community events lawn for picnics, outdoor
teaching sessions or small scale events which will be enclosed by a
multi-stemmed hazel copse.
A Succession Garden will show the story of plant life-cycle with flowers
and shrubs increasing in size with children able to experience the
different colours, smells, sounds, scale and varying forms. An artist is
currently being commissioned by the Legacy Corporation to create a series
of play activities for children in the garden.
There will also be a Scots Pine Play Area where the woodland will provide
an ecosystem in its own right with their highly textured and jigsaw-like
layered bark providing niches for mosses and a host of insects which will
in turn attract birds. The area will also include natural boulders, timber
structures and rocks for exploratory play and climbing.
Park reopening
After the Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation will undertake
one of Europe's largest construction projects in creating the Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Through careful planning, the North Park will begin to reopen from 27 July
2013 - exactly one year after the Olympics Opening Ceremony. In addition to
the community hub the North Park will includes acres of vibrant green
parklands and footpaths, perfect for picnics, walks and play.
Also here, the Multi-Use Arena, a 7,500 capacity indoor entertainment venue
will host a range of community events, along with a yearly programme of
high profile sports and concerts. The Legacy Corporation will celebrate the
opening of the North Park with an event for local residents and visitors.
Visitors will be able to access the Park through entrances in Hackney,
Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, in addition to pedestrian access through
Eton Manor. The remainder of the North Park will open at the end of 2013,
and will include the Lee Valley VeloPark and more access points for
visitors.
About LLDC
The London Legacy Development Corporation promotes and delivers physical,
social, economic and environmental regeneration in the Queen Elizabeth
Olympic Park and surrounding area, in particular by maximising the legacy
of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It will secure high-quality sustainable development and investment and
ensure the long-term success of the facilities and assets within its direct
control and supporting and promoting the aim of convergence.
It takes over responsibility for the Park from the Olympic Park Legacy
Company, and additional powers including planning powers from October 2012
from the Olympic Delivery Authority and London Thames Gateway Development
Corporation. For more information visit:
http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk/about-us/
About Erect Architecture
London-based firm erect architecture were chosen for their winning design
concept in December last year. They are leading a team collaborating with
structural engineers Tall engineers (London), service engineers Max Fordham
(London), landscape consultants Land Use Consultants (London), artist and
enabler Ashley McMormick (London), quantity surveyor Huntley Cartwright
(Surrey) and play safety experts Children's Play Advisory Service
(Coventry).
Erect Architecture is an award-winning team of architects led by Barbara
Kaucky and Susanne Tutsch. Our Hackney based practice was founded in 2003.
We have developed an expertise in the field of community architecture,
culture, education and play. The social aspects of architecture and
inhabitation by the users are our core concerns in creating environments
people enjoy being in.
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