Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

[Islander]

Not your usual 'attraction', but thought it still fitted in here... you'll see why...

So, the Olympics and Para's are over, and the Olympic park is now transitioning to 'Legacy Mode' (I kid you not... LOCOG love their jargon...).

The Olympic Park is to be transfromed over the next two years into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is said to be no ordinary park < that link contains all the detailed plans, so I shan't list them at great length here. In a nutshell:

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be unlike any other park you've visited. As a whole new piece of the city, there will always be something exciting going on, from the low-key to the larger than life.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be London’s newest urban park – so much more than your average green space. It will embody all the positivity and opportunity of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and help to reshape and redefine the capital for local residents, Londoners and visitors from the UK and beyond. State-of-the-art venues and attractions will sit alongside homes, schools and businesses amongst green open spaces and pieces of art in the heart of East London. This will be no ordinary park.

Whatever your age, background or interests you’ll find something you’re into in the Park. Its wetlands and waterways will provide a beautiful new backdrop in which to relax and enjoy life. In contrast the Stadium and the Multi-Use Arena will be full of energy, hosting everything from major sporting events to music festivals.

Everyone will have the opportunity to use the sporting venues where history will be made during the London 2012 Games. You’ll be able to swim in the Aquatics Centre’s two 50-metre swimming pools; or ride around the world’s most exciting VeloPark which boasts track, BMX, road and mountain bike facilities. Alongside new places to eat, drink and shop you’ll be able to get inside the UK’s largest piece of public art, the 114-metre ArcelorMittal Orbit.

Young or old, individual or family, artistic or sporty, local or tourist – get ready to do what you do in the most extraordinary surroundings.

There's some great stuff planned for this place, such as a a playground which promises to be the "UK's most exciting" (this in turn boasts "Would-be engineers will be able to make sand and water systems into dams and locks that mimic the Lee Valley’s transformation" ). There will be "thousands of events and activities per year", it will be "the park that never stops". Community is key, with "five new neighbourhoods built on the Park and up to 8,000 new homes; with the emphasis on family homes of three beds or more."

The transition starts immediately, with the first phase (Northern Hub) due to open next summer, and completion summer 2014. There're loads of concept pictures on the site, well worth taking a look.

Eagle-eyed John noticed this one, however...

It's of the Southern Hub, and top-right there very clearly appears to be a coaster. No mention anywhere on the site, though. As Sam pointed out on Facebook, "I honestly can't see why they would put this in the concept art if there aren't/weren't plans to build a coaster!"

 

[Alastair]

Looks like quite a neat little coaster for the small space it seems to be in. Shame you can't see the height but a vertical loop, decent looking helix and camelback look great (hopefully it would have lapbars though)

 

[Tim]

Hmm... On the main plans there are houses where that coaster is. Could this be an idea for a temporary fair ride for the summer of 2013 or an alternative to the houses?

Either way that coaster's probably just a place marker for "some type of amusement attraction". It looks like a Togo

I still think they missed a trick by not commissioning Intamin to build the Orbit...

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Regardless of the coaster thanks for posting this Islander as I'm genuinely interested to find out more about what's happen to the Olympic Park. One thing I didn't know before is that the BMX track is staying which I'm glad to hear.

 

[Sam]

Yet weirdly, the same spot as the coaster on this video (0:23) seems to be occupied by a block of flats. :-\

This thumbnail picture from the same site also seems to show a ferris wheel, a whole little carnival:

It's all very odd.

Edit: Tim beat me to it! I've just dashed off an email, asking about the coaster.

 

[Plastic Person]

Looks like the old cover art for RCT2.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Wow. That looks like such a cheap, tacky ride. I'm hoping it's just an example drawn by someone who doesn't know squat about coasters. If that's accurate then it looks like the kind of random Chinese crud only TPR have ever been on since even the locals don't touch it.

 

[BigAl]

It all looks and sounds great, but I won't be holding out for any rides.


At least if there are some, it'll be a nice surprise!