Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Imagine playing in the tree tops, swinging between branches, viewing the world from birds’ nests high in the sky…well, imagine no more: come and experience this for yourself at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Situated in the Olympic Park’s Tumbling Bay Playground, the natural play structures we built were commissioned by London Legacy Development Corporation as part of the London 2012 Olympic Legacy scheme. The project is one of our flagship playgrounds and has enjoyed enormous community support. It is beautifully complemented by the sand and water play features it “tumbles” into.

The playground is a wonderful example of how play structures can enhance their setting while providing much fun and enjoyment. Next time you drag the kids to Stratford Westfield, treat them to one of the best play times on offer in London town.

Designed in partnership with Erect Architecture and built by APES, the playground is part of the park’s North Hub, which was opened by the Queen in July 2013. Main contractors BAM Nuttall, Frost Landscapes and Mace were a pleasure to work with and provided great support during the build.

The playground’s story began in an Oxfordshire forest, where our trained foresters sustainably sourced and felled specially chosen oak trees, some of which were 13m high! Once the trees were set in the ground (one of our biggest operations to date), the team weaved branches gathered from the same forest to build nests in them.

Crooked branches, log walkways and ropes create routes in and out of the nests, connecting play spaces for younger children on the forest floor with challenging climbs into the canopy.

Year
2013

Location
London Borough of Newham

Build Time
4 months

Price
£163,000