Six teams short-listed in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park competition
Landscape architects feature prominently in the six teams shortlisted in the design competition to create a new culture and education quarter as part of the Olympicopolis vision for East London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
They include Vogt Landscape Architects, Gross.Max, Gustafson Porter, Publica Associates, Grant Associates and Latz+Partner.
The culture and education quarter will provide ‘an exciting new destination’ on Stratford Waterfront, at the gateway to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is intended to showcase London at its cultural best, ‘bringing together outstanding organisations with exceptional programmes in the performing arts, fashion, visual arts, craft, science, technology and cutting edge design,’ say the competition organisers.
London Mayor Boris Johnson welcomed Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement in the Autumn Statement that the scheme, which is expected to deliver 3,000 jobs, 1.5 million additional visitors and £2.8 billion of economic value to Stratford and the surrounding area, is to receive £141m in government support.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, Sadler’s Wells and University of the Arts London are all partners in the development. University College London is also a key partner in the wider Olympicopolis scheme and will be building a major new campus adjacent to the Stratford Waterfront 2 site.
The two-stage competition, which is organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants, was launched in September 2014 with interest registered by some 1,000 architects, master planners, engineers and landscape designers from around the world. The second stage of the competition will see the six shortlisted teams invited to submit concept designs for the culture and education quarter by Easter 2015.
The winning team will be announced in late spring 2015 following deliberations by a jury chaired by Paul Finch and including representatives from each of the institutions to be housed in the scheme.
The six teams shortlisted are:
*Aecom with Stanton Williams, Alison Brooks Architects, AKT II, Asif Khan, Carmody Groarke, Charcoalblue, Haworth Tompkins and Vogt Landscape Architects;
*Ramboll UK with Rick Mather, RCR, Jun’ya Ishigami, So-il, Max Fordham, Eckersley O’Callaghan, Steer Davies Gleave, Gardiner and Theobald, Savills, Britain Thinks, Eley Kishimoto, Ab Rogers, Charcoalblue, Speirs + Major and Gross.Max;
*Allies and Morrison with Buro Happold, O’Donnell and Tuomey, Gardiner and Theobald, Gustafson Porter and Josep Camps/Olga Felip Arquitecturia;
*David Chipperfield Architects with Arup, Robbrecht en Daem, Harry Gugger Studio, Vogt Landscape Architects, Publica Associates and Alinea Consulting;
*Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios with Atelier Ten, Grant Associates, Expedition, Charcoalblue, Gardiner and Theobald, 5th Studio, Coffey Architects, David Kohn, DRDH Architects, Hoidn Wang Partner and Thomas Matthews; and
*Baumschlager Eberle with 6a Architects, Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen, Latz+Partner, Buro Happold, Momentum Consulting Engineers, Charcoalblue, Gardiner & Theobald, and Polly Staple and Chisenhale Gallery.
