Come and Help Build the Olympic LEGO-cy - Westfield Stratford City hosts interactive LEGO installation recreating East Village and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park between 25 September – 1 October 2012
Legacy has been the buzzword of the London 2012 Games and the city is further ahead with legacy plans than any previous Olympic host city.
Now visitors to Westfield Stratford City can create their own legacy model, of East Village (formerly the Athletes’ Village) and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, from LEGO as part of a major installation introducing E20, London’s newest neighbourhood.
The LEGO model will be in Westfield Stratford City from 25 September to 1 October. Measuring 3m x 3m, the scaled model replicates the iconic Olympic skyline and clearly shows the shape of what’s to come when East Village opens to residents and the first phase of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park starts to open to the public on 27 July 2013, exactly one year after the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Not only does the installation offer a sneak preview, but members of the public – including children from the local community – will be able to play their part, adding bricks to the structure and crafting a model legacy.
East Village is the first legacy neighbourhood to result from the Games, welcoming residents from summer 2013. With 2,818 homes (a mixture of private rental and affordable), it will also be home to Chobham Academy – a world-class education campus for 1,800 3-19 year olds and part of the prestigious Harris Federation), a state-of-the-art medical centre and over 30 independent cafes, shops and restaurants. It will offer the best of green, sustainable living – spanning over 27 hectares of land (the equivalent of St James’ Park) including landscaped gardens, park areas and courtyards.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be no ordinary park, it will be both an exciting visitor destination and a place to relax. Iconic venues and exciting attractions will sit alongside new homes, schools and businesses. A full programme of events will attract people into the Park, whilst careful planning will ensure it retains a community feel. Inspirational art installations and the beautiful parklands will create an oasis of calm within this thriving new urban park. It will offer 5 iconic venues, up to 25 daily sports and activities and will grow to offer thousands of events per year from daily exercise classes to music festivals.
Commenting on the installation, LEGO master builder, Duncan Titmarsh, said: “This LEGO installation was created over the course of 400 hours by a team of the UK’s top LEGO builders and uses a staggering 50,000 LEGO pieces. Visitors will be able to enjoy a number of distinctive landmarks – from the vivid red tower of the ArcelorMittal Orbit to the Stadium itself and the expanse of green space that surrounds the 2,818 homes that make up East Village.”
Key areas of East Village and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in legacy mode – and to be recreated in LEGO - include:
- An exciting first birds-eye look at the private courtyards at the heart of East Village’s homes with their bespoke design
- Chobham Academy
- East Village Health and Wellbeing Centre
- 10 hectares of green space, including landscaped gardens and wetlands
- Entertainment venues within Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Stuart Corbyn from East Village added: “East Village will be London’s most exciting new neighbourhood and it’s great to see it being embodied in such an innovative and creative fashion! It won’t be long until we open for residents in Summer 2013, however this is a great opportunity to take a closer look and play your part in creating this unique neighbourhood.”
Paul Brickell, Executive Director of Regeneration and Community Partnerships of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “The Lego model is a very good way of getting children and many adults to think about what’s next for the Olympic Park and the surrounding area. The Park will begin to open from 27th July 2013 but the plans for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will develop over decades. It is the children living locally now who will benefit most from the investment in the new local economy the Park is attracting, bringing jobs, apprenticeships, and excellent local facilities.”
Elliot Lipton, Director of Triathlon Homes went on to say: “We look forward to East Village becoming a cornerstone of the East London community when it welcomes its first residents next year. This LEGO installation outlines clearly the major attractions of E20, from the wide variety of homes available within East Village, to Chobham Academy and the unparalleled sporting and entertainment facilities within Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and we hope that everyone within Newham and indeed from further afield will take this opportunity to come down to Westfield and find out more about how the Olympic Legacy will benefit them”.
www.eastvillagelondon.co.uk