It will provide thousands of beds for athletes during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Along with this accommodation, it will comprise shops, restaurants, medical, media and leisure facilities, large areas of open space and a water feature.

The Village will also include an ‘International Zone’ where athletes can meet with friends and family. The plan retains London's tradition of building homes around communal squares and courtyards, with water features accentuating the closeness of the River Lea.

Athletes will have an inspirational view over the Park. Every apartment will provide comfortable accommodation and state-of-the-art communications facilities, including internet access and wireless networking. All the apartment blocks will be fully accessible and equipped with modern lifts.

Athletes will have easy access to the travel and leisure facilities of the adjacent Stratford City complex, and the High Speed 1 Javelin® shuttle service will link the Village to central London in just seven minutes.
 
During the Games the Village will include ‘back of house’ operations, and services for athletes such as catering and transport; the majority of these will be accommodated in temporary structures on sites that can be cleared for development immediately after the Games.

After the Games

The Village will become part of the overall Stratford City regeneration scheme, including a new regional shopping centre with additional leisure, office and residential areas. It will be transformed into up to 3,000 new homes, with a mix of affordable housing, and accommodation for sale and rent. The communities that develop in the area after the Games will be supported by new parks, open space, community facilities and transport links.

Progress on the Village

Construction work started on the Olympic Village in June 2008. Since then, piling work has been completed on the first block with work underway on further blocks. Piling involves casting concrete columns into the ground to form the permanent foundations.