• Six teams short-listed in design competition to create new culture and education quarter at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park • Drawn from 43 high quality submissions comprising established companies and emerging practices • Teams include 125 different architects from around the world • Mayor recently welcomed announcement by government to invest £141m in this exciting development

The London Legacy Development Corporation today (Friday 12 December 2014) announced the short-list for the competition for a new culture and education quarter as part of the Olympicopolis vision for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The six teams are:

• AECOM with Stanton Williams, Alison Brooks Architects, AKT II, Asif Khan, Carmody Groarke, Charcoalblue, Haworth Tompkins and Vogt Landscape Architects
• Ramboll UK with Rick Mather, RCR, Jun'ya Ishigami, So-il, Max Fordham, Eckersley O'Callaghan, Steer Davies Gleave, Gardiner and Theobald, Savills, Britain Thinks, Eley Kishimoto, Ab Rogers, Charcoalblue, Speirs + Major and Gross.max
• Allies and Morrison with Buro Happold, O'Donnell and Tuomey, Gardiner and Theobald, Gustafson Porter and Josep Camps/Olga Felip Arquitecturia
• David Chipperfield Architects with Arup, Robbrecht en Daem, Harry Gugger Studio, Vogt Landscape Architects, Publica Associates, Alinea consulting
• Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios with Atelier Ten, Grant Associates, Expedition, Charcoalblue, Gardiner & Theobald, 5th Studio, Coffey Architects, David Kohn, DRDH Architects, Hoidn Wang Partner and Thomas Matthews
• Baumschlager Eberle with 6a Architects, Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen, Latz+Partner, Buro Happold, Momentum Consulting Engineers, Charcoalblue, Gardiner & Theobald, Polly Staple and Chisenhale Gallery

The culture and education quarter will provide an exciting new destination on Stratford Waterfront at the gateway to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It will showcase London at its cultural best, bringing together outstanding organisations with exceptional programmes in the performing arts, fashion, visual arts, craft, science, technology and cutting edge design.

The Mayor welcomed last week Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement in the Autumn Statement that the scheme is to receive £141m in government support. The scheme is expected to deliver 3,000 jobs, 1.5 million additional visitors and £2.8 billion of economic value to Stratford and the surrounding area.

The Victoria and Albert Museum, Sadler’s Wells and University of the Arts London are partners in this exciting new development. University College London is also a key partner in the wider Olympicopolis scheme and will be building a major new campus adjacent to the Stratford Waterfront site, allowing for unparalleled collaboration in education, training and research.

The two-stage competition, which is supported by competition specialists Malcolm Reading Consultants, was launched in September 2014 with interest registered by some 1,000 architects, master planners, engineers and landscape designers from around the world.

The second stage of the competition will see the six shortlisted teams invited to submit concept designs for the culture and education quarter by Easter 2015. The winning team will be announced in late spring 2015 following deliberations by a jury chaired by Paul Finch, World Architecture Festival, and including representatives from each of the institutions to be housed in the scheme.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

“We’ve seen a fantastic response to our global search for top design talent to bring alive the Olympicopolis vision. This follows the recent confirmation of £141m from Government to support the development of this exciting project.”

Rosanna Lawes, Executive Director of Real Estate at London Legacy Development Corporation, said:

“The quality of the submissions was outstanding making for an extremely strong shortlist. It was particularly exciting to see diverse teams formed, with strong disciplines and established practitioners alongside emerging practices.”

Nigel Carrington, Vice-Chancellor of University of the Arts London, said:

“Every one of these architects has the potential to transform Olympicopolis into the powerhouse we need for creative thinking, for our fashion students and, most importantly, for East Londoners. I look forward to their designs for UAL’s London College of Fashion at the next stage of the competition.”

Martin Roth, Director Victoria and Albert Museum, said:

“What makes this shortlist so exciting is the diversity of design disciplines represented with established architects working in collaboration with new and emerging practitioners. We are confident that this short list of national and international designers and architects will ensure a wonderful new building for London.”

Alistair Spalding, Sadler’s Wells’ Chief Executive and Artistic Director, said:

“I am impressed by the calibre of the short listed teams and look forward to seeing the concept designs for our new theatre and the whole Stratford Waterfront site. I am particularly interested in how the design teams will approach the task of making each of the spaces fit for their specific purpose, while at the same time creating a campus that will bring the cultural and educational organisations together organically, reflect the quarter’s creative focus and be conducive to the collaboration that will happen.”

Ends

For more information contact the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Press Office on +44 (0) 20 3734 9010 or email press@QueenElizabethOlympicPark.co.uk

Notes to Editors

In December last year the Mayor unveiled his vision for ‘Olympicopolis’ which takes its inspiration from the achievements of Prince Albert, who used the proceeds of the 1851 Great Exhibition to create ‘Albertopolis’ – the 86 acre site around Exhibition Road in South Kensington that is today considered one of the world’s pre-eminent scientific, educational, artistic and cultural hubs. The Mayor’s aim is that this will be a dynamic new hub for 21st century London, attracting prestigious institutions and businesses to the site to foster collaboration and innovation. As well as creating new visitor attractions, it will seek to attract knowledge based industries to the Stratford site, linking to Tech City, Here East and beyond. It’s projected that the cumulative effect of these plans will generate 3,000 jobs in the Park and an extra £1.8 billion of economic value from the area. 

London’s newest visitor destination, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is a place unlike any other. Visitors to the Park are able to enjoy beautiful parklands and waterways, world-famous sporting venues, arts and events and spectacular views from the ArcelorMittal Orbit. As a new heart for east London, the Park will also provide new homes, jobs and a cultural and education quarter.

The London Legacy Development Corporation promotes and delivers physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the surrounding area, in particular by maximising the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

For more information visit QueenElizabethOlympicPark.co.uk, follow us on Twitter @noordinarypark and like us on Facebook facebook.com/QueenElizabethOlympicPark 

The competition has been supported by Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC). MRC is a strategic architectural consultancy which specialises in the selection of contemporary designers. MRC believes in the power of design to create new perceptions and act as an inspiration – whether at the local level or internationally.