The London 2012 Legacy

I remember standing in this exact place two years ago, so why does it feel like an  alien planet to me? Gone are the crowds, the music and the vibrant party atmosphere - replaced, with an eerie stillness. It's hard to believe a location can have such a dramatic change in such a short space of time.

That is all I can think, however as I walk across the bridge towards a park which two years ago held the London Olympics. Back then I was caught up in the flow of the crowd and the magical atmosphere. Even someone like myself, who isn't patriotic couldn't help feel proud of the event London had put on. I got caught up in woops, cheers and the beat of life; egged on by the  Olympic stewards, known as Gamesmasters, sat upon their umpire chairs, loudhailers blaring. Now the atmosphere is so still, almost serene, the only sounds are the birds above and the cars below passing under the bridge. My mind can't quite handle the dramatic shift in appearance as I try to place any familiarity. Clearly, I thought at this point, the Olympics is already a distant memory.


This is how I remembered it.
A stark contrast to now.

The Olympic stadium ahead of me, still stands looking like a massive bowl - just calling out for some milk and cereal. I love the design; it has a  minimalist structure that is rather unassuming, yet lit up as it was in 2012 it couldn't fail to impress. It seems smaller than I remember and my tour guide informs me that the top tiers were taken off; so much seating is no required. It is now owned by West Ham football club, who whilst I'm sure have many fans, their numbers can't compare to the crowds of Oylmpic proportions. The worry in my mind that time has forgotten the event already is growing. Perhaps, I won't be recapturing some of the magic I felt before as I had hoped. I reason that whilst it may no longer look as impressive, at least it is still being used; and not left to rot.

Refreshingly this seems to be a theme of the Olympic park (now the Queen Elizabeth Olympic park), everything is either being reused or re-purposed in a bid to save resources. Many of the stadiums were dismantled and shipped to Brazil for their Olympics - in a fashion rather reminiscent of a childs construction kit. Whilst I agree in principle with the idea of recycling I am rather upset at the sparse land this has created. If anything my tour of the park showed me was that nothing lasts forever.


From the two pictures you can see why it felt so different.

However there is a force hard at work ensuring London 2012 lives on. The London Legacy Development Corporation  was formed to ensure that the Olympic park is utilised and not left derelect. My tour guide details an upcoming monument that will stand as a reminder that people from all over the world came together for the games. This gave me some hope; that at least the area won't return to the wasteland it was once before. Maybe, the Olympic impact will indeed be kept alive after all I began to hope.

The next part of my tour showed more of the benfits that has become of the legacy. The swimming pool, where Tom Daley set his record breaking lap, is now a sports gym with ties to both professional athletes and the local community. The spirit of the Oympics still lives on in this venue; helped perhaps by the amazing technology remaining. Above the swimming lanes is a massive digital clock - which displays lap times, temperature and other statistics. Anyone who takes a dip under that feature is sure to feel like an Olympic athlete themselves. Many in my group joke amongst themselves of taking a dip themselves, certain they could give Tom a run for his money.

It isn't all sports however, a small section of the park has been turned into a nature reserve. This is a rather refreshing - especially in a place that once was little more than urban wasteland. The trail is well designed and a walk around it can be very peaceful. I closed my eyes, taking in the sound of birdsong and the gentle trickle of water. Unfortunately, a deep breath shattered this illusion; there is no covering up that city central smell. Yet, any type of greenspace in a city is something to be praised. Too often nature is being forgotten about as we try to expand for our ever growing population.

The Olympics may be over now, and memories of it fading in my mind, but clearly it has still left its mark. I get a sense of how important the legacy has become; which is a welcome change. It can be so easy for places, to become derelict once their purpose is served. I realise that it is still a relatively recent event, and in time all of it could be changed; more so than it has already. Still it is clear, that there is a shared passion in ensuring the Olympics legacy lives on.


First Oylmpic stadium picture from Demotix, second Oympic stadium image from Dezeen,