As Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opens to the public this weekend it feels timely to have a look at the landscape surrounding one of its iconic buildings, the London Aquatic Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid. This oval building is located on a plot where its north entrance is approximately 5m above its south car parking level. Connecting the car park level to the building entrance are two arcing stepped footpaths. A tapering planting bed is located between this footpath and building, this is widest at the bottom diminishing to a point at the top. This is planted with an evergreen grass and provides all year round interest. At the south end of the building a grass stepped green wall has been installed. This has been stepped to accommodate the venting in the horizontal plane, required by the aquatic centre
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – Bottom Elevation Showing Green Wall
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – Fair Faced Concrete Retaining Wall and Balustrade
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – Concrete Steps, Resin Bonded Gravel, Grass Planting and Green Wall
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – Fair Faced Concrete Steps
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – Lighting Under Handrail
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – Balustrade Detail
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – View Down the Steps form the Upper Landing
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – Upper Landing Grass Planting
Aquatic Centre Landscape, Stratford – Upper Level Planting and Resin Bonded Surface
The Google Map image below show the Aquatic Center in its state when it was open for the 2012 Olympics. The rectangular seating block on the east and west sides of the building have now been removed and the stepped access has been reduced in width.
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