I was hoping to go for another peek around the perimeter of the Olympic Park this morning, but a key section of the perimeter – the part along the canal near Old Ford Locks – is still blocked off for reworking after a water main burst last year. The notices at the wall blocking off the section assure me that works will be finished by “20 June 2011″…
I did spot an interesting graphic (extract above, or download the full image from here on the ODA Planning Applications website though – an application for a covered bridge between the “WUT” (Warm-Up Track) and the Olympic Stadium, presumably covered to stop freeloaders on the Greenway from glimpsing the athletes, has some nice renderings of what it will look like. One also shows the stadium, covered in the vertical “pennants”, in blue and white, that look like they are the new thinking for the “wrap” around the facility. There’s been no announcement yet that the new-style wrap will be going on the stadium – an earlier design for the wrap was cancelled to save money – but with the Olympic Park currently under budget, hopefully it will happen. A small test section of white wrap remains on the north side of the stadium. That a completed wrap is appearing at least in the latest renderings is encouraging. Another virtual view, showing even more of the stadium is here.
Come September this year, Stratford City – and presumably the accompanying Stratford International DLR station – will be open, taking a huge bite out of the largely rectangular Olympic Park site. This should mean lots of closeup views of the Aquatic Centre and Olympic Village will become possible. I look forward to it!