Inside the Olympic Park
What a difference several years, no shortage of political will and hundreds of million pounds of investment can make to a run-down corner of east London. I’m just back from a media tour of the 2012 Olympic site and, having first visited it about three years ago as the ‘big build’ got underway, the transformation of the site is remarkable. That said, for all its ‘wow factor’ structures, this is still a huge construction site and there does still seem a long way to go before it’s ready for the big day in July.
Highlights for me have to be the beautiful Velodrome and the imaginative landscaping along the River Lea at the northern end of the park. Less impressive is the Arcelormittal Orbit which seems to get more awful the closer you get to it, although it is at least something to talk about. By contrast, the supposed star of the show, the Olympic Stadium, remains a bland, functional structure. The opening ceremony had better be good.
You can view a slideshow of images here. (They were taken mostly from inside a tour bus, so please excuse the quality)
