Our brief was to create a community hub and playground embedded in the landscape setting of the Olympic Park. We designed the landscape as continuation of the park with its large-scale buildings, powerful and fluid landforms, sweeps of planting and its focus on connectivity, fluidity of movement and ecology.
Architecture and Landscape Design
Timber Lodge: Community centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
'As designers, Erect are exceptionally understanding of the client, ask the right questions and are apt at communicating through high quality drawings and material both at early concept stages and for production information. On this project specifically they proved apt at meeting ambitious client requirements ... and confident negotiating the complex planning framework and site constraints.'
Esther Everett, Principal Designer, LLDC
The building was designed as an extension of the landscape. Landforms and planting conceal and reveal the building as visitors move through the park. Internal and external spaces relate to each other. The cantlevering roof planes frame views to adjacent Olympic venues.
The building contains a café, community space and public toilet provisions for the North Park. The café enjoys views in three directions and is located at the intersection of main pedestrian and cycle pathways.
The community room opens on to the intimate grass lawn enclosed by hazel woodlands. The rhythm of the façade reads as natural extension of the multi-stem hazels.
The structural properties of the cross-laminated timber panels were used to their full capacity to provide covered external space underneath slender cantilevering roof overhangs.
“Getting the park designed and built within the timeframe to a standard that we can all be proud of is a fantastic achievement. It is a significant asset that has been added to the Park.”
Jessica Gavaghan, LLDC, Project Sponsor
Artworks and artist-led activities were integrated into the design process creating opportunities for participation in the arts and skills development, as well as expanding experiences and understanding of what is local and particular. Projects included Children's Legacy Poetry competitions, a year long learning project with Colegrave Primary School and others, a Club Collection with Lucy Harrison and others.
Artists were commissioned to produce works in line with key themes of the project; ecology, pioneering and industrial heritage. Works included Experiments in Household Knowledge by Public Works and Cross and Cave by Ivan and Heather Morison.
For more information about the play landscape refer to Tumbling Bay in the playground category.