The Making of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

1. Edition November 2012
288 Pages, Hardcover
Practical Approach Book
Short Description
This is the story of the making of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, created for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Situated in East London, the Olympic Park is recognized as one of the very first sustainable public parks of the 21st century. Exploring how Olympic Park was conceived as a new piece of city that shifted the entire center of gravity of London eastwards, this book reveals the philosophical context and technical insights that went into the creation of this sustainable, contemporary urban park of international significance.
This is the story of the making of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, created for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Situated in East London, the Olympic Park is recognized as one of the very first sustainable public parks of the 21st century. Exploring how Olympic Park was conceived as a new piece of city that shifted the entire center of gravity of London eastwards, this book reveals the philosophical context and technical insights that went into the creation of this sustainable, contemporary urban park of international significance.
Foreword - Sir Nicholas Serota 8
Introduction - The Power of the Games 12
Chapter One - Start with the Park 22
Interview: Alison Nimmo CBE 36
Interview: Jason Prior & Bill Hanway 46
Chapter Two - Delivering the Park 60
Interview: Sir David Higgins 66
Interview: Ian Galloway OBE & Matt Heal 80
Chapter Three - Planning and Designing the Park 104
Interview: George Hargreaves 116
Interview: Andrew Harland & Neil Mattinson 140
Interview: Sarah Price 154
Chapter Four - Constructing the Park 166
Interview: Simon Wright OBE 180
Interview: Tom Armour & Bill Grose / Alison Braham & Martyn Lass MBE 190
Interview: Professor Nigel Dunnett & James Hitchmough 210
Chapter Five - A Walk in the Park 228
Interview: Dennis Hone 236
Interview: Sir John Armitt 244
Afterword - Professor James Corner 260
Schedule of Teams Involved in the Project 264
Glossary 269
References 272
Index 278
Picture Credits 286
Peter Neal BA (Hons), DipLA, MDes, Dip Ecology, FLI is a landscape architect, environmental planner and urban designer. He was head of public space at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment from 2003 to 2011 and has acted as an adviser to the Olympic Delivery Authority for the Parklands and Public Realm since 2006. He currently runs his own landscape planning and design consultancy specializing in urban parks and the public realm.