Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park London

Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park. From left, the Aquatics center, The ArchelorMittal Orbit metal sculpture and the London Stadium.
Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park. From left, the Aquatics center, The ArchelorMittal Orbit metal sculpture and the London Stadium.

The Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park and the arenas were built in East London for the 2012 Summer Olympics that were held in the city. The London arena is now home to the football (US-‘soccer’) team West Ham United.  The towering sculpture ArchelorMittal Orbit is a lookout tower with a slide, a free fall abseil, it is also labelled the tallest sculpture in the UK.

The ArchelorMittal Orb up close.
The ArchelorMittal Orb up close.
The City viewed from the Orb.
The City viewed from the Orb.
London Stadium, formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, is now home to the football team West Bromwich.
London Stadium, formerly known as the Olympic Stadium, is now home to the football team West Bromwich.
The Aquatic centre
The Aquatic centre.

The Aquatic centre was originally designed by Zaha Hadid in 2004. This was before the Olympic bid was complete and the original design did not have room for as many spectators as was needed for the Olympics, so two spectator wings were added for the Olympics. The added sections have since been removed, they were only present during the Olympic games in 2012.

The Aquatics Center seen from atop the ArchelorMittal Orb.
The Aquatics Center seen from atop the ArchelorMittal Orb.
Lea River running through the Olympic Park.
Lee River running through the Olympic Park.

Lee River (also referred to as Lea River) that runs through the Olympic Park in East London, was long a forgotten river that ran through mountains of old refrigerators and other scrap mountains in the scrapyards that used to surround the river. It was essentially a tic wasteland. When London was awarded the 2012 summer Olympics that all changed and the river today is a beautifully restored piece of nature that enhances the environment considerably in this part of East London.

Lea River in the Lea River Vally.
Lee River in the Lee River Vally.
Wildlife like this bird loves the Lea River.
Wildlife like this bird loves the Lee River.
Lee Valley Velodrome
Lee Valley Velodrome

Lee Valley Velodrome was the home of track cycling events during the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. The building was designed by Hopkins Architects together with landscape Architectural firm Grant Associates.

The park is full of nice plants, here is one: Red Hot Poker or Kniphofia as it is named is a flowering plant in the Asphodelaceae family.
The park is full of nice plants, here is one: Red Hot Poker or Kniphofia as it is named is a flowering plant in the Asphodelaceae family.