Royal Academy Summer Exhibition features the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park competition submission by David Chipperfield Architects, in collaboration with Harry Gugger Studio and Robbrecht en Daem architecten, with Vogt Landscape Architects, Arup, Publica and Alinea Consulting.
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The Lea Valley has historically been defined by the interplay between nature and industry and the landscape around the ‘island’ site is a scene of competing infrastructures and multiple ground planes. Two new bridges therefore play a fundamental role in our proposal by connecting the wider context to a dominant singular plane – a common ground – that runs throughout the site providing access routes for visitors, commuters and residents.
The proposal encourages the institutions to harness the productive creativity of East London with spaces that foster experimentation and interaction. Although the volume and materiality of each building is driven by its own architectural idea, they each share a party wall which unifies the programmatic diversity of the complex and maximises footprints. To assist the merging of public space with institutional activity, the organisation and internal courtyard spaces of the buildings generates a rich variety of interconnected public and semi-public spaces.
Competition: 2015 Client: London Legacy Development Corporation Lead consultant: Arup Masterplanner: David Chipperfield Architects Architects: David Chipperfield Architects, Harry Gugger Studio, Robbrecht en Daem architecten Landscape architecture: Vogt Landscape Public realm: Publica Cost consulting: alinea consulting Model photography: Richard Davies
