Built on the grounds of the London 2012 Olympic Games, South Park Plaza at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) was conceived as a 21st Century “Pleasure Garden”. Whereas the northern half of QEOP is defined by extensive green spaces, vegetated hills and plateaus, nature trails and wetlands, the southern half is defined by its eventfulness, creative programming and multi-cultural attractions. The South Park Plaza of QEOP was once almost entirely paved as the main concourse for the Olympic Games.
The Plaza is now a place of event, entertainment, activity and discovery, featuring 11.3 hectares of open space, including the 12m wide, tree-lined “Arc Promenade”, a new spine and social centrepiece of the park, hung with beautiful spherical lanterns and linking a series of exciting spaces designed to inspire creativity in people of all ages. These flexible “Event Rooms” are surrounded by a diverse “Planting Ribbon”, building on the plantmanship started with the Games-time Olympic Park, and utilizing tall textural grasses and perennials that effectively create the feeling of outdoor ‘rooms’ of different sizes for socialization and programming. 2. Role of the Landscape Architect: describe the precise role and responsibility of the LI professional member and the role of all other significant participants including owner or client.
As the Landscape Architect of Record, LDA Design delivered the final construction documents and specifications, and oversaw construction of the work on a day-to-day basis. James Corner Field Operations created the design vision and led the team’s efforts through the design and approval stages. The LLDC established the highly aspirational brief and ensured that the quality of delivery (both of design and of construction) was at the highest level.
