"Not just good-looking neighbours”: How the Olympic Park's East Bank cultural institutions are welcoming the public

The development of sites around the Olympic Park famously led to a loss of artists studios and creatives, especially from Hackney Wick, due to the demolition of studios and rise in rental prices. The area was renowned for once having the highest concentration of artists per square foot in Europe. 

Justine Simmons, OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, says that creativity is hardwired into the planning system at East Bank. The park includes one of London’s first Creative Enterprise Zones – designed to enable artists to put down roots with 70,000sqm put aside for workspaces and permanently affordable studios to prevent artists being priced and pushed out. The initiative is also intended to boost job and training opportunities for local people.

Accessibility, public outreach and affordability are key themes found throughout East Bank. Entering via Sadler’s Wells, you are greeted by a "YOU ARE WELCOME" sign above the doors into the café and restaurant – an open invitation to come in and use the spaces and take advantage of the public dance floor – large windows make the Olympic Park your audience. In the theatre, curved seating provides a "feeling of society and togetherness, where you are all in one audience, a little community," says Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Chief Executive. 

Nearby, the London College of Fashion, UAL, is also publicly accessible. The first three floors of the school serve as exhibition spaces and host lecture theatres that are open to all. The building combines three London College of Fashion campuses together in one space for the first time, bringing together designers from across London to collaborate and learn.

Head of the Fashion Innovation Industry, Matthew Drinkwater, says that they want to “capture the imagination of the community and teach how technology can be used to enhance.”

Exposing learning to the public is a common theme. UCL East host community events at their ‘institute of making’ on the weekends to explore materials and processes. Adding in their free community classroom and the Global Disability Innovation Hub, UCL is highlighting its goal towards creating a fairer and more accessible world.

Whilst the BBC studios has yet to open, it will feature new facilities to bring together the BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus and BBC Singers as well as administrative space for the BBC Concert Orchestra.

The institutions of the East Bank are collaborating and responding to each other’s programmes, and looking to do more. "They’re not just really good-looking neighbours,” Tasmin Ace, Director, East Bank says. 

With architecture by Allies and Morrison, O’Donnell + Tuomey, Stanton Williams, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro each structure brings its own unique character to East Bank’s elevation. Taking a journey through brick, concrete, glass and ceramic, there’s a distinctive and memorable look to each of the neighbours.

Most noticeably is V&A East with its angular form contrasting the block volume of the rest. They each have their own characteristics to stand out as a singular entity, whether it’s Sadler’s Wells jagged roof line or UAL’s large atrium all come together as one.

Public atriums are a theme across the buildings. London College of Fashion hosts a spiral staircase branching off to each of the three publicly accessible levels whilst an artwork ’Trēow of Time’ quite literally puts a tree at the centre of UCL East’s multi-storey entrance.