New book tells story of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Written by those at the heart of the project, ‘The Making of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’ tells the story of the construction of the largest new British park in more than a century, and offers the only authoritative account of the Park’s strategic planning, detailed design and delivery through to its opening in July 2012. It also reveals a hidden secret of the Park: the foot-tall gnome that was hidden in the Park by gardeners shortly before the start of the Games.

Co-authored by John Hopkins, former Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) Project Sponsor for Parklands and Public Realm, and Peter Neal, the former Head of Public Space at the Commission for Sustainable Architecture and the Built Environment, the book features interviews with those behind the building of the Games, as well as a foreword by Director of Tate and ODA Board member, Sir Nicholas Serota.
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was conceived as a new piece of sustainable city. It has transformed a largely neglected, contaminated, post-industrial district into a new community for up to 20,000 residents, shifting the centre of gravity of London eastwards.

Author John Hopkins said: ‘The Olympic Park is a major achievement for landscape architects collaborating with numerous other professionals. It now stands as an exemplar for how sustainable developments can be delivered both here in the UK and internationally. We have created a new park, the like of which no one has seen before. Not only did we turn brown to green, but we have created a fantastic new park for people and wildlife that will serve new and existing communities for generations to come. This new book tells the story of how we did that.’

Dennis Hone, ODA Chief Executive and interim Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, which is transforming and managing the Park in legacy, added: ‘This book captures the trials and tribulations endured in creating Britain’s largest new urban park and goes some way to highlighting the many teams and individuals that breathed life into this area of London.’