Olympic park

LANDSCAPE GEORGE HARGREAVES
I Maestri del Paesaggio 2014
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Olympic
park
Text and photos by Lucia Nusiner,
agronomist, Maurizio Vegini, Arketipos president, Sergio Cumitini,
freelance horticolture consultant
Arcelormittal Orbit, metal sculpture
and landmark of the Olympic park.
Arcelormittal Orbit, scultura metallica
e landmark dell’Olympic park.
È uno dei parchi urbani più estesi
del mondo, frutto di un lavoro che
si concluderà nel 2020. Area londinese
un tempo degradata da anni di industrie
e discariche, ora è il luogo dove ritrovare
natura, biodiversità e la sintesi
delle tendenze del paesaggismo moderno
ounder and design director of a
major design firm, George Hargreaves, American landscape architect, has made landscape architecture one
of the themes of the contemporary debate,
by underlining in his works the significance of its combination with urban planning, architecture, art and science. Univer-
F
sity professor at the Department of Landscape architecture at Harvard University,
Cambridge for 30 years and artist-in-residence at the American Academy of Rome
in 2009, through his works George Hargreaves teaches the fundamental role of
ecosystem relations between cultural and
natural environment.
▼
This is one of the largest urban parks in the
world, and is the outcome of a project that
will be completed by 2020. A London area
formerly in decline, where industries and
landfills used to be located, is now a place
where nature and biodiversity can be found
together with the trends of modern landscape
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LANDSCAPE GEORGE HARGREAVES
I Maestri del Paesaggio 2013
▼
His firm, Hargreaves & associates,
established in 1983, with headquarters in
San Francisco and ancillary offices in
New York, Cambridge and London, has
received many awards, among which 34
from the American society of landscape
architects (Asla) and is globally known for
its significant projects for the recovery of
polluted sites and former industrial areas,
impoverished by previous destructive uses
and often located on sea shores, port areas,
river mouths and river banks, and their
conversion into public parks.
According to George Hargreaves and his
associates, great urban parks are complex
cultural areas, where new solutions of use
can be experimented to create or return to
environmental balances and new forms of
dialogue with the city and society. A
recent example of this approach is certainly Queen Elizabeth II Olympic park,
known as Olympic park, a sustainable and
contemporary urban park of international
relevance, for which Hargreaves & associates took care of the master plan, landscape architecture schematic design,
design development and construction
documents, together with Uk practice Lda
design, while ecology and landscape
management were assigned to Peter Shepherd and Etm associates, respectively.
Olympic and Paralympic Games, and as
a wide planted area for generations to
come. The design was inspired by the
Victorian and post-war pleasure gardens:
sweeping lawns, a riverside walk, access
to the river, ample seating and public
spaces throughout the park: an immense
green space for people and wildlife and
sports facilities that will remain for public
use beyond the games. Among the many
Olympic park
Located in Stratford, north-east of
London, the Olympic park covers 250
hectares and is located on former industrial areas and riverbanks, largely contaminated and subsequently abandoned for
years. The area was designed to provide
a celebratory setting for the London 2012
professionals involved in the design of
the park, it is worth remembering John
Hopkins, landscape architect, who
recently passed away. A top person in the
management task, he battled more than
anyone else so that the park would not
become a design icon but a place of intertwining between nature and the city. He
was responsible for the great coordination work among all the professionals
From tradition to avant-garde
Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough, professors at Sheffield University, whose work did
not pander to 'ephemeral' design, were the main design consultants who worked with
Hargreaves & Associates and Lda. Biodiversity to recreate, soil protection by means of
green cover with blooming meadows, the recovery of wetlands, once present in this area
of London, are all elements that were defined in the 2006 original master plan and on
which the two designers worked, and which they partially redrafted, to achieve innovative
and traditional results. Starting point: the heritage of parks and gardens in the United
Kingdom, with its history. Final objective: recreate a Victorian park from a contemporary
point of view, showing a possible future Great Britain. The two designers drew inspiration
from natural habitats in the United Kingdom, suggested in 'developed', more colourful
versions, with a powerful aesthetic value, to highlight the identity of the site and foster the
'affection' of visitors who get cultural and environmental notions by using this urban park.
Plant species are not just indigenous, but there are also plants connected with the population and the landscape. At the opening, for the 2012 Olympic Games, the Olympic park
gifted us with multi-coloured blooms and promoted, to a wide and heterogeneous audience, progressive horticulture decisions and techniques.
Soil ready for everything
The park features vast meadows and floral lawns that required specific preparation of the soil
which was highly contaminated by the previous presence of industries and landfills, and
therefore impossible to use. It was therefore covered with two types of growing medium,
studied and selected to avoid weeds and to provide the right amount of elements, with low
levels of phosphor, to maintain a balanced mix in the floral lawn. Seeding was carried out on
site and mostly manually, because of the slopes of the soil, by specifically trained personnel.
The creation of wetlands and the English varieties of trees fulfilled a principle of sustainable
biodiversity, whose project has the ambitious goal to offer a model of perpetual sustainability.
Sergio Cumitini
Freelance horticolture consultant
In sintesi
GEORGE HARGREAVES - MASTERS OF LANDSCAPE 2013 /
Olympic park
ato come Olympic Park oggi “Queen Elizabeth II
Olympic park” è un parco urbano sostenibile e contemporaneo sorto a Londra in occasione dei Giochi Olimpici 2012. Il masterplan è stato curato dallo studio
Hargreaves&associates, e landscape architecture schematic
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design, design development and construction documents, insieme
allo studio inglese LDA design, mentre responsabili per l'ecology
e il landscape management sono stati rispettivamente Peter Shepherd ed Etm associates.
Lo studio Hargreaves & associates è stato fondato da George Hargreaves nel 1983, con sede a San Francisco e studi satelliti a New
York, Cambridge e Londra. Molti riconoscimenti ricevuti tra i quali
34 awards dall’American society of landscape architects (Asla).
Suo Fondatore e design director, George Hargreaves, landscaper
ACER 4/2014 • 34
Clockwise from the left, the park with areas under construction; in the eastern area:
flat fountain, a wood of Prunus serrula ‘Tibetica’, pathways towards the Acquatic center.
Da sinistra, in senso orario, il parco con aree in costruzione; nella zona Est: fontana
a raso, boschetto di Prunus serrula ‘Tibetica’, percorsi verso l’Acquatic center.
From North to South
The park is characterized by two
macro-areas, north and south. The
northern area has a woody-natural
character and features the large meadows designed by James Hitchmough
and Nigel Dunnett. Both are academics at Sheffield University and they
have designed the flower-filled meadows, together with Sarah Price (who
was in charge of the tree layout), with
whom they designed a route divided
into four gardens that represent the
history of English horticulture and the
influence of the four continents to
which they are dedicated.
architect è docente universitario presso il Dipartimento di Landscape architecture alla Harvard University di Cambridge per 30
anni e artist-in-residence presso l'Accademia americana di Roma
nel 2009.
Per lui e i suoi associati i grandi parchi urbani rappresentano zone
culturali complesse, dove sperimentare nuove soluzioni di uso per
creare o ritrovare equilibri ecologici e nuove forme di dialogo con
il tessuto urbano e sociale.
Olympic park ne è l'esempio, situato a Stratford, a Nord-Est di
35 • ACER 4/2014
The Landscape Engineering of this
area was assigned to the Atkins Group,
London.
The southern area was assigned to
the James Corner firm (Field Operation) while the Arup firm dealt with
Landscape Engineering. The park
reopened in spring this year under the
name of Queen Elisabeth II Olympic
park, and was enhanced by planting
English varieties of holm oak (Quercus
ilex), that make up a central line along
the promenade.
▼
involved in the project, that has led to the
environmental reclamation of a strongly
polluted area after years of industries and
landfills. After the Olympics, the park was
closed to implement the necessary transformations for its residential destination,
by converting the Olympic village into
housing and with the construction of new
residential buildings.
Londra, si estende per 250 ettari e sorge su terreni ex industriali e
sponde fluviali, spazi un tempo contaminati e abbandonati. Il
design è stato ispirato dai giardini vittoriani: ampi prati, un lungofiume con accessi al fiume, posti a sedere e spazi pubblici in tutto
il parco. L’area viene designata per realizzare l’ambiente celebrativo dei Giochi olimpici e paraolimpici del 2012, e un’ area estesa di verde per le generazioni a venire. Dopo le Olimpiadi, il parco
è stato chiuso per mettere in atto le trasformazioni necessarie alla
destinazione residenziale che si completeranno verso il 2020. Due
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From the left, the outdoor rooms,
climbing walls and sand pits.
Da sinistra, le outdoor rooms, pareti
per arrampicare e giochi di sabbia.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II OLYMPIC PARK
Lee Valley hockey and tennis centre
Entry/exit
Multi-Storey Carpark to the park
- A 12
Lee Valley Velopark
Entry/exit
to the park
Leyton station
Tumbling bay
playground
Entry/exit Copper box arena
to the
park Hackney
Wick
Station
Timber lodge
Wetlands
Virtual Tour
Given its extension (250 hectares), which
means it is one of the largest urban parks,
the following itinerary is not complete but
is a very detailed taster of the main places
of interest.
Carpenters lock
Entry/exit
to the park
Stradford
station
Oudoors rooms
Fountain
Acquatic Centre
The entrance from Stratford Station,
in the eastern area of the park, towards
the Acquatics Centre, is characterized
by expanses of borders contained by
walls of white cement and white
blooms, in May of red valerian with
white form (Centranthus ruber 'Albus')
in front of the taller white flowers of
Stadium
Acquatic centre
Arcelormittal orbit
South lawn
Podium
Entry/exit
to the park
Westfield Stradford
City Stradford
High street
Walkways
Roads
macro aree caratterizzano il parco, la Nord e la Sud. La zona Nord
ha carattere boschivo-naturalistico, ospita i meadows (praterie)
di grande estensione progettati da James Hitchmough e Nigel
Dunnett. Entrambi accademici della Sheffield University che
hanno curato la progettazione dei prati fioriti, insieme alla designer Sarah Price. Per quest’area il Landscape engineering è stato
curato dal gruppo Atkins di Londra. L’area Sud è opera dello
studio James Corner (Field operation) e dello studio Arup per il
Landscape Engineering. Il parco è stato riaperto nella primavera
2014 con il nome di “Queen Elisabeth II Olympic park”. Il parco
ha varie aree di interesse, fra queste: L’Acquatics centre che si
caratterizza per distese di aiuole contenute da muretti di cemento bianco, e fioriture candide a partire da maggio. Spazi ampi con
la pavimentazione in cemento “resinato” color senape e le aree
di sosta di deck in legno, usato anche per le lunghe sedute semicircolari. Incontriamo poi la fontana a raso, molto suggestiva e
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4/2001 • 36
Playground at the foot of Arcelormittalorbit, the Park near the Olympic stadium,
Eschscholzia californica in bloom along the slope towards the wet area.
Area giochi ai piedi dell’Arcelormittalorbit, il Parco nei pressi dell’Olympic
stadium, Eschscholzia californica in fiore lungo il pendio verso l’area umida.
valerian (Valeriana officinalis), alongside ornamental herbaceous plants and
box hedges (Buxus sempervirens). The
design is powerful and clean, spaces are
wide, the flooring is in mustard colored
“resin” cement, while rest areas come
in wooden deck, also used for the large
semi-circular seats on concrete containers. In the borders on the back, tall
trees, some in flower containers built
with flat laid wood slabs.
Fountains
After the bridge, the area of the flat
Plant species to astonish people
any tree, shrub and grass species
have been used in the Olympic Park.
Below there is a list with some of them, according to the type of use.
M
Multi-purpose trees
Grass species for lawns on slopes: the
seed mix used to make the lawns in the
slopes south and west of the northern area
of the Park, was also enriched with Onosis
spinosa, a shrub species, and consists of:
Campanula glomerata, Clinopodium nepeta, Centaurea scabiosa, Daucus carota,
Echium vulgare, Festuca ovina, Galium
verum, Leontodon hispidus, Leucanthemum vulgare, Linaria vulgaris, Lotus corniculatus, Malva moschata, Origanum vulgare, Primula veris, Prunella vulgaris, Salvia
pratensis, Scabiosa columbaria, Thymus
praecox Opiz subsp. britannicus.
Outdoor rooms
In the event rooms, meadows and
gardens create a “powerful” landscape
picture for daily use and to support
▼
Multistem trees: Platanus x Hispanica,
Alnus glutinosa, Fraxinus excelsior, Populus tremula, Prunus avium, Sorbus aucuparia, Ulmus ‘New horizon’, a cross between
Ulmus pumila and Ulmus davidiana ‘Japonica’., Betula albosinensis, Malus floribunda ‘Evereste’, Crataegus monogyna, Kolreuteria paniculata, Quercus ilex.
Lines of trees: Tilia cordata, Prunus avium,
Salix alba, Alnus glutinosa.
Groups of trees: Acer campestre, Alnus
glutinosa, Salix alba, Amelanchier lamarckii,
Prunus avium, Prunus serrula ‘Tibetica’.
Woodlands mixes: Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Popolus tremula, Salix alba.
fountain, mainly designed by James
Corner, is really fascinating and full of
ideas: many jets laid in the form of a snake
give rise, by means of different synchronous mechanisms, to pleasant rhythms
and sounds, an attraction for everyone.
Children and adults try to enter it without
getting wet, while onlookers remain seated on curvy benches. Behind them, a
dense wood of Tibetan cherries (Prunus
serrula 'Tibetica'), planted at very short
distances, up to one metre, where children
venture and with broken gray gravel as
mulching. The design team involved in
area 6 featured James Corner Field Operations firm (Design Lead), Duch Piet
Oudolf for planting and horticulture, Arup
firm and Make Architects. Identity and
graphics by By Tomato, while the Lighting designer and consultant was L'Observatoire international, New York; Groundbreaking is in charge of Events and live
activity planning, Playlink is Play consultant, Deloitte is Quantity Surveyor..
ricca di stimoli progettata principalmente da James Corner, con
numerosi zampilli disposti a serpentone, che creano, con diversi
sincronismi, ritmi e suoni gradevoli, sono un’attrazione per grandi e piccoli. Le sale per eventi, i prati e i giardini creano un quadro
paesaggistico “potente” sia per l’uso quotidiano che per l’utilizzo in eventi quali sagre, mercati, giostre, concerti e spettacoli, che
si svolgono sotto l’imponente “ArcelorMittal Orbit”. Un viale
alberato collega i vari spazi. Il disegno è chiaramente leggibile e
37 • ACER 4/2014
ludico e varia per supportare una vasta gamma di usi.
Molti gli affacci panoramici sul fiume e sedute ad anfiteatro
degradanti dal livello più alto fino alla passeggiata lungo fiume,
oltre a sistemazioni con gabbionate (parzialmente vegetate in
superficie) e la rossa parete di arrampicata.
Percorrendo il parco verso il fiume si attraversa un boschetto di
betulle con un fitto sottobosco e a fianco grossi massi nel prato
utilizzabili come sedute. Ancora verso Nord la scarpata che
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Towards the wet area, borders of colourful perennials and nests of twisted willow.
Verso l’area umida, bordure di perenni colorate e nidi in salice intrecciato.
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a wide agenda of diverse events
(fairs, markets, carousels , concerts and
shows) that take place under impressive
“ArcelorMittal Orbit” (point 2). A treelined avenue connects the various
spaces. The design is clear and playful
G
and varies to support a wide range of
usages.
Sites along the river (nearly always
without baluster) offer panoramic views
and theatre seating that go down from
the upper level to the walk along the
river, in addition to sites with gabionades
(partially planted on the surface) and the
red climbing wall.
Towards the river (“City mill river”)
plants take the natural shapes of a birch
wood with a dense underwood and, on
the side, there are large stones in the
meadow that can be used as seats.
There are numerous entertainment
facilities for children, with climbs, water
pumps and the beloved sand pits. Classes meet here, with high-visibility yellow
jackets. There are also fun or unconventional elements for adults, such as the
rocking chairs or big wooden deckchairs placed in the shadow of the
double tree-lined avenue.
eorge Harhreaves (nella foto) è fondatore e design director di uno dei più importanti studi di progettazione del mondo, Hargreaves&Associates, specializzato in interventi di recupero e riconversione in parchi pubblici di aree di vaste dimensioni, siti inquinati ed ex industriali, e pluripremiato dall’American society of landscape architects (Asla).
Dalla sua esperienza trentennale, Hargreaves ha dato vita a “Large parks”, pubblicazione
della quale è co-editore, che tratta dei grandi parchi urbani come zone culturali complesse, esaminandone il paesaggio, l’ecologia, la storia sociale, le interazioni con le città e proponendo nuove soluzioni di utilizzo.
Persona schiva e riservata. Quando ha parlato all’International Meeting ha incantato i presenti con progetti di grandi interventi pubblici in ogni parte del mondo quali il Bos Park di
Amsterdam, il Candlestick Point, il Byxbee Park, Crissy Field, tutti a San Francisco (California, Usa). E poi il South Pointe Park a Miami Beach (Florida, Usa) il Louisville Waterfront
Park (in Kentucky, Usa), il Sydney 2000 Olympics (Australia), l’Elizabeth Caruthers Park a
Portland (Oregon, Usa) e infine il Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park a Londra.
Maurizio Vegini
Presidente Arketipos
Wetlands
Again to the north, the slope that
borders the steps that lead to the wet
land is covered by a lawn that in May
becomes orange with the blooms of
Eschcholzia californica.
Towards the wetland, the pathway is
framed by a mixed border overflowing with coloured perennials, among
which there stand out the spherical and
blue blooms of Allium spp. at the foot
of the plane-trees (Platanus spp.)
contained in flower containers of wood
slabs. The wetlands are a very natural
area, with ponds, water plants and
ducks: a relaxing place not far from the
city centre. Meadows, carefully
Master of landscape
eorge Hargreaves (in the picture) is the founder and design director of one of the most
prominent design firms in the world, Hargreaves &
Associates, specialized in projects for the recovery
and reconversion of large and polluted areas and
former industrial sites into public parks, and has
received multiple awards from the American society
of landscape architects (Asla). In his thirty years of
experience, Hargreaves has created “Large parks”,
a publication of which he is co-publisher, that deals
with large urban parks as complex cultural zones, and examines their landscape, ecology, social
story, interactions with the cities, suggesting new solutions for use. A shy and reserved person.
When he spoke at the International Meeting he enchanted the audience with projects of large
public facilities everywhere in the world, such as Bos Park in Amsterdam, Candlestick Point,
Byxbee Park, Crissy Field, all in San Francisco (California, US). And then the South Pointe Park
in Miami Beach (Florida, US) the Louisville Waterfront Park (in Kentucky, US), the Sydney 2000
Olympics (Australia), the Elizabeth Caruthers Park in Portland (Oregon, US) and finally the
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
G
ACER 4/2014 • 38
From the left, pathway in the wet area, along the slopes, and green wall in the Velopark.
Da sinistra, percorsi nell’area umida, lungo i pendii, e parete verde del Velopark.
Tumbling bay playground
Around the cycle-track the design of
the planted area is sober, shaped by
rectangles of grasses of diverse colours,
with few perennials and slopes covered
with ivy. In the “Tumbling bay playground” area there are games for
teenagers and adults, with a rough
climbing facility, certainly unique, with
poles of locust tree, birch, twisted
branches of hazelnut tree and ropes, a
discovery pathway close to the refreshment area with a tunnel, a railing and
nests made of twisted willow, and then
games with water, triggered by pumps
and balance spring games along the
pathway and in the vegetation.
Further beyond, new dwellings overlook the park, the landscape of natural
ponds, between moving land, small
woods of large trees and underwood in
bloom. Being able to live in a condo
surrounded by such nature appears
unreal, where everything is very much
cared for, designed so smartly that it
exactly recalls the model of nature …
while, among the trees, you can catch a
glimpse of the tip of the “Shard”, the
skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano:
from the City to the blocks of flats in
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the wood.
Per saperne di più:
www.ilverdeeditoriale.com/ricerche_R.aspx
www.arketipos.org
An example of quality to draw a lesson
hat is of great surprise when visiting the park is its great
architectural quality, the outcome of the work of the best
landscapers and plant designers, the playful quality, that gives
the city the opportunity to regain a large space for families and
citizens of all ages (also thanks to the new restaurants, cafés and
kiosks), botanical quality in line with the most recent international trend regarding planning, building quality that shows the
expertise of the companies engaged and of the public administrators and technical experts, adequate and constant maintenance. A large park, symbol of a city and of a nation seriously projected into the environmental issues of our century. When will we also be proud of a public project, after the most recent
events regarding the Expo and Mose projects?
Lucia Nusiner
Agronomist
W
costeggia la scalinata che conduce alla zona umida è coperta a
maggio da un prato di Eschcholzia californica mentre una bordura mista straripante di perenni colorate, verso la zona umida,
costeggia il percorso. Le wetlands (area umida) sono un’area
molto naturale, con laghetti, piante acquatiche e anatre: un luogo
rilassante a poca distanza dal centro urbano. Nell’area
“Tumbling bay playground” vi sono elementi di gioco per
39 • ACER 4/2014
DARIO FUSARO
levelled, are mixed with slopes with
perfectly mown lawns, and others with
a more natural development with grasses and perennials. The design is simple,
clear and easily understandable.
adolescenti e adulti, con una struttura di arrampicata artigianale, di pali di robinia, betulla, rami
L’appuntamento
con I Maestri
di nocciolo intrecciato e corde; un percorso
del
Paesaggio si
scoperta vicino all’area ristoro con un tunnel,
rinnova nel 2014
una ringhiera e nidi in salice intrecciato.
dal 6 al 21 settembre,
a Bergamo.

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