Stratford City Masterplan / Athletes Village
Stratford City Masterplan / Athletes Village
The masterplan for Stratford City was always going to be a huge project, forming a key part of the strategic growth of London eastwards and a demonstration of best practice in urban design. The project has been made possible by massive investment in public transport railway infrastructure, built around the new Stratford International Station at the centre of the site. However, its international significance has grown exponentially since London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The project has been designed in close collaboration with Arup Urban Design and the Dutch landscape architects West 8 over more than six years and work is ongoing.
The project was originally expected to take 15 - 20 years to reach its conclusion, but the timetable has now been dramatically accelerated and a critical mass of development will be delivered in a single phase. It speaks volumes for the robustness of the design that it has been able to withstand the immense scale of change. This robustness is illustrated by the way in which the project has been able to accommodate the Athletes' Village, home to 17,000 competitors and team members before reverting to more than 3,700 homes to form a new urban community after the Games. A key element of the London bid, the Village is now almost entirely located within the Stratford City site and the complexities of the functional requirements of the Games are being combined with the overriding need to create a high quality long-term urban environment.
This has involved the integration of the masterplan within the wider Olympic Park development, coordinating with a wide range of stakeholders and helping steer the massively complex project from a strategic planning level through to construction and implementation. The 73 hectare site, which includes Stratford regional station, will be a new urban centre in its own right, incorporating a mixture of uses, and leaving a legacy of design decisions for generations to come in the structure of streets and open spaces.
The project was originally expected to take 15 - 20 years to reach its conclusion, but the timetable has now been dramatically accelerated and a critical mass of development will be delivered in a single phase. It speaks volumes for the robustness of the design that it has been able to withstand the immense scale of change. This robustness is illustrated by the way in which the project has been able to accommodate the Athletes' Village, home to 17,000 competitors and team members before reverting to more than 3,700 homes to form a new urban community after the Games. A key element of the London bid, the Village is now almost entirely located within the Stratford City site and the complexities of the functional requirements of the Games are being combined with the overriding need to create a high quality long-term urban environment.
This has involved the integration of the masterplan within the wider Olympic Park development, coordinating with a wide range of stakeholders and helping steer the massively complex project from a strategic planning level through to construction and implementation. The 73 hectare site, which includes Stratford regional station, will be a new urban centre in its own right, incorporating a mixture of uses, and leaving a legacy of design decisions for generations to come in the structure of streets and open spaces.
It gives opportunities to literally sculpt a new landscape using the soil from the tunnelling work. This has lifted the level of the site by an average of six metres, raising the scheme out of the flood plain and enabling roads and bridges to overcome the tracks that have encircled and isolated the site since the growth of the railways in the nineteenth century.
The project aims to establish a series of urban districts, integrated into the surrounding communities and with the new parkland and river systems of the Lea Valley. It seeks to create areas with their own identity in which people choose to live and settle. Ultimately, the project is about more than just housing, or retail, or offices, or any other individual land use. It is the reason why community facilities are at the heart of the project, why public space has been integrated throughout the scheme, and why, in collaboration with many other architects and designers, Stratford City will aim to provide a range of first class amenities. Stratford City is about creating a real piece of city.
"One of the most memorable aspects of masterplanning Stratford City was the spirit of collaboration we experienced with Fletcher Priest. Through their clarity, rigour and spirit of exploration, not only was the outcome of the highest quality, but the journey with them was very enjoyable."
Malcolm Smith, Director, Arup Urban Design
www.eastvillagelondon.co.uk
A detailed insight into East London, the East Village project and the ideas behind the legacy of London's newest neighbourhood, with images, aerial views, infrastructure, maps and diagrams. Narrated by Jonathan Kendall:
http://youtu.be/KetMhGwIUfc
East Village fly through video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPNvRIjPxbc
press:
AJ 100 FPA Profile 2013 May 2013; bdonline - Keeping the Athletes Village green September 2012; bdonline Roll of honour - The Olympics architect by architect August 2012; WIDN - Village People July 2012; Evening Standard - Village Life April 2012; Architects Newspaper - Passing The Torch March 2012; New London Quarterly - East Village London March 2012; Planning - Designing Olympic Homes March 2012; BBC News - London 2012 - Olympics shoot for green medal February 2012; BBC News - London 2012 - Olympic Village handed over to organisers January 2012; more » Sunday Times - Only 194 days to go January 2012; Observer - Olympic Village - I'd give it a bronze medal January 2012; BBC News - London 2012 - EastEnders titles recognise Olympic transformation December 2011; Architects Journal - Latest aerial shots of Olympic venues released December 2011; Metro - 6000 can get an Olympic first place December 2011; Inside Housing - Olympic neighbourhood revealed December 2011; Evening Standard - Londons East Village - inside the Olympic athletes 2012 home December 2011; BBC News - London 2012 - Olympic district to be named East Village December 2011; Architects Journal - Olympic village reaches home straight October 2011; RIBA Journal Athletes Village Behind The Facade September 2011; FX Business of Design - Westfield Stratford City May 2011; Olympian Heights - FT Weekend Magazine May 2011; Evening Standard December 2010; Architects Journal June 2010; Architects Journal June 2010; The Times May 2010; BREEAM Communities Brochure April 2010; BREEAM Communities Brochure April 2010; Evening Standard February 2010; Evening Standard July 2009; Bryla March 2009; The Guardian January 2009; Architects Journal January 2009; Building Design August 2008; Blueprint August 2008; Building June 2008; Architects Journal May 2008; Building May 2008; Building Design May 2008; London Planning December 2007; Building Design October 2007; Architects Journal September 2007; Building September 2007; Estates Gazette September 2007; Evening Standard September 2007; Property Week September 2007; First Base_Stratford City January 2007; Gateway January 2007; Planning in London Yearbook December 2006; Estates Gazette July 2006; Gateway July 2006; Olympic Village June 2006; Estates Gazette November 2005; Property Week November 2005; FT Magazine October 2005; Evening Standard October 2005; Estates Gazette September 2005; Property Week July 2005;
The project aims to establish a series of urban districts, integrated into the surrounding communities and with the new parkland and river systems of the Lea Valley. It seeks to create areas with their own identity in which people choose to live and settle. Ultimately, the project is about more than just housing, or retail, or offices, or any other individual land use. It is the reason why community facilities are at the heart of the project, why public space has been integrated throughout the scheme, and why, in collaboration with many other architects and designers, Stratford City will aim to provide a range of first class amenities. Stratford City is about creating a real piece of city.
"One of the most memorable aspects of masterplanning Stratford City was the spirit of collaboration we experienced with Fletcher Priest. Through their clarity, rigour and spirit of exploration, not only was the outcome of the highest quality, but the journey with them was very enjoyable."
Malcolm Smith, Director, Arup Urban Design
www.eastvillagelondon.co.uk
A detailed insight into East London, the East Village project and the ideas behind the legacy of London's newest neighbourhood, with images, aerial views, infrastructure, maps and diagrams. Narrated by Jonathan Kendall:
http://youtu.be/KetMhGwIUfc
East Village fly through video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPNvRIjPxbc
press:
AJ 100 FPA Profile 2013 May 2013; bdonline - Keeping the Athletes Village green September 2012; bdonline Roll of honour - The Olympics architect by architect August 2012; WIDN - Village People July 2012; Evening Standard - Village Life April 2012; Architects Newspaper - Passing The Torch March 2012; New London Quarterly - East Village London March 2012; Planning - Designing Olympic Homes March 2012; BBC News - London 2012 - Olympics shoot for green medal February 2012; BBC News - London 2012 - Olympic Village handed over to organisers January 2012; more » Sunday Times - Only 194 days to go January 2012; Observer - Olympic Village - I'd give it a bronze medal January 2012; BBC News - London 2012 - EastEnders titles recognise Olympic transformation December 2011; Architects Journal - Latest aerial shots of Olympic venues released December 2011; Metro - 6000 can get an Olympic first place December 2011; Inside Housing - Olympic neighbourhood revealed December 2011; Evening Standard - Londons East Village - inside the Olympic athletes 2012 home December 2011; BBC News - London 2012 - Olympic district to be named East Village December 2011; Architects Journal - Olympic village reaches home straight October 2011; RIBA Journal Athletes Village Behind The Facade September 2011; FX Business of Design - Westfield Stratford City May 2011; Olympian Heights - FT Weekend Magazine May 2011; Evening Standard December 2010; Architects Journal June 2010; Architects Journal June 2010; The Times May 2010; BREEAM Communities Brochure April 2010; BREEAM Communities Brochure April 2010; Evening Standard February 2010; Evening Standard July 2009; Bryla March 2009; The Guardian January 2009; Architects Journal January 2009; Building Design August 2008; Blueprint August 2008; Building June 2008; Architects Journal May 2008; Building May 2008; Building Design May 2008; London Planning December 2007; Building Design October 2007; Architects Journal September 2007; Building September 2007; Estates Gazette September 2007; Evening Standard September 2007; Property Week September 2007; First Base_Stratford City January 2007; Gateway January 2007; Planning in London Yearbook December 2006; Estates Gazette July 2006; Gateway July 2006; Olympic Village June 2006; Estates Gazette November 2005; Property Week November 2005; FT Magazine October 2005; Evening Standard October 2005; Estates Gazette September 2005; Property Week July 2005;