Stop 1 - Aquatics Centre

Make sure your volume is on: "Waypoint 1 - Modern Park"

Show transcript

From this side of Waterworks river you get a good sense of how much the local area has changed. And thanks to the Olympic cleanup and work since the games it is more interesting and attractive to visitors.
The first thing to notice is accessibility – how easy it is for everyone to get to and around the Park. The Underground, Overground, Network Rail and Bus networks are all connected (you can actually see Overground line from here), and the Park is laid out with plenty of bridges and flat, wide paths going in all directions.

The second thing that you may notice is how many people are here! The legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was always to transform the Park into a place to live, work and play, and the Park now attracts over five million visitors a year. That’s everyone from local residents coming for a picnic, to international tourists or sports fans.

Besides the people, you may notice the variety of plants and trees. The opposite bank of Waterworks river, for example, is the 2012 Garden, which pays tribute to Britain’s long history of exploration and plant collecting and the impact this had on British horticulture. The 2012 Garden features 70,000 plants from four different corners of the world – Asia, Northern and Southern Hemispheres and Europe. There are also many different types of trees planted, and Waterworks river has a fringe of natural waterside plants, which provide a safe haven for wildlife.

How was the Park you see today created? As you follow the tour, this ‘Modern Park’ section will explore some of the features you can see, and why they are here.

To find the next waypoint, walk across the bridge towards the London Stadium until you reach the fountains, and then turn around and look back.