Facilities Used For 2012 Olympics To Reopen To London Public In March

Areas that "teemed with thousands of excited spectators" during the 2012 Olympics will "reopen to the public as landscaped parklands housing outdoor art installations" on April 5, according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. James Corner, the architect responsible for the "much-praised High Line urban park in New York, has overseen the landscaping of the south end of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where the stadium and aquatics centre are sited." The Lee Valley VeloPark will open in March, allowing "public access to the velodrome" where Chris Hoy won his Gold Medals. There will also be a "new cycle track and a BMX track." The velodrome will host "elite competition, with riders including the 2012 medallist Laura Trott competing in the Revolution track cycling series" on March 14-15. The Zaha Hadid-designed aquatics center will "reopen to the public" on March 1 and will host a "mixture of public sessions and elite events in its two 50-metre pools" (GUARDIAN, 1/14).