London Photo Gallery - Stratford Part 1

Stratford is located north of the Docklands, a low-income area that was amongst the most deprived parts of the country. The 2012 London Olympics were held here with a lasting legacy of regeneration to benefit the community who lived here. Anchoring the huge regeneration is the Westfield shopping mall, which opened in 2011. The 1.45 billion pound development features over 300 shops in both indoor and outdoor zones. Getting here is also quite easy from Central London. The journey from Liverpool Street to Stratford on the Elizabeth Line takes only 8 minutes, and the mall is just outside the north exit. Across on the other side of the tracks, the world changes drastically with the much older Stratford Centre that was once the major shopping centre in the area. It has a mix of familiar brands and independent retailers. The 560-acre Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was the main competition venue during the 2012 Olympics. This area used to be industrial and was a dumping ground. Polluted with various contaminants, the park's transformation began in 2007. After 2 million tonnes of soil were cleaned and buildings demolished, major venues such as the stadium and aquatics centre were built. The Aquatics Centre features a 50m competition pool and a 25m diving pool underneat a 3000 ton wave-like steel roof measuring 160m x 80m. It has a sustainability feature where the pool water is used to flush the toilets. The main stadium was built with a capacity for 80,000 spectators, which was downsized to 60,000 after the games. Located in between several rivers, access is possible using 5 bridges with plenty of park around it. At the eastern end of the park near the Westfield is the appropriately-named East Bank, a new cultural quarter home to several institutions such as the Sadler's Wells East theatre, BBC, London College of Fashion, and the V&A's new museum. University College London has also opened a campus here with 2 buildings that can accommodate 5000 students. Built using a lot of recycled steel from washing machines and cars, the ArcelorMittal Orbit was the idea of Mayor Boris Johnson, who wanted a landmark to celebrate the Olympics. During a conversation with Lakshmi Mittal from ArcelorMittal, the steel for the structure was secured. Meanwhile, there is also a lot of open space and trails to enjoy.