Top photo: Orbit (an observation tower by Anish Kapoor) and the Olympic Stadium
Bottom photos: the stingray-shaped Aquatics Center designed by Zaha Hadid and some apartments of the Olympic Village
Last month, while in London, I went on a tour of the area surrounding the Olympic Park. It being a two-hour walking tour, I expected the group to be made up of mostly young and middle-aged adults, but I found myself in the company of senior citizens – one of whom was right in the city when it hosted the first Olympic Games after World War II in 1948. Once my concern over their capacity to physically endure the tour was alleviated, it turned out to be an entertaining walk. It was definitely interesting hearing about what the older generation thought about all this new construction, in this part of London in particular.
A 25-minute tube ride from the royal palaces and government buildings of Westminster, East London is not what people typically associate with the city. Though it is home to the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, one of the two financial districts, it is also where some of the poorest neighborhoods in all of Britain are located. It is hoped that the Games, along with other new developments such as Westfield Stratford City (the largest urban shopping center in Europe, which opened last year and is right next to the Stadium and Aquatics Center), would help the regeneration of the area.
London 2012 is 100 days away. Like many people, I am curious to see how the city will absorb the rush of tourists, athletes and journalists. But beyond all this spectacle and celebration, I hope the legacy of these Games will be far better for London than the legacy of the 2004 Summer Olympics has been for Athens.
Great post! I can’t wait to see London’s makeover for the Olympics! ;)
Thanks! I can’t wait either! I’d probably make embarrassing, high-pitched noises when I see the completed Olympic Park. ;)
Great pictures! :)
Thank you! :)
Oh, that would have really been interesting to listen to the old guy who was already alive during the 1948 Olympics. I imagine the preparations were much less grandiose then. :)
Definitely less grandiose. I remember reading somewhere that they did not build any new facilities since they did not exactly have the money to spare after the war. And yet the world was able to pull it off. Such a contrast to the huge pressure put on host countries now to spend billions in new construction projects. :)
As much as I want the Olympics to be in London, I think the village will probably be excellent we’ll struggle to cope with the numbers across the city, especially transport-wise and while I hope there will be a legacy for the less well off areas around East London, I’m not holding my breath.
I sound a bit miserable, don’t I?
You don’t sound miserable at all. You sound like all Londoners I’ve talked to. :) My friends there already have their out-of-town trips planned out. I didn’t sense much excitement among the locals while I was there. Understandably, transportation is the main source of concern.
I don’t know what to think regarding the legacy of these Games. Can’t say I’m well-informed on the matter. But I could see that there’s at least a lot of discussion about it, especially in terms of how the new facilities will be used after. Wish I got to talk to more locals about it!
The locals probably have more pressing concerns. Particularly, those being forced out of the area by landlords putting up the rent to a ridiculous level so they can cash in on the rent they can get from people willing to stump up unimaginable amounts of cash to have a couple of weeks in the immediate vicinity. I’m not sure where the local businesses are getting in on the action either with the monopoly that the big corporations have on the games.
Having said all that I find sport can be really inspiring so hope it is for many in London.
beauty ! :)
Thanks! Can’t wait to see it all on TV when the Olympics begin. :)