A few days ago - Caroline Davies from The Guardian came to Hackney Wick to do a story about our concerns for the future of the Wick a year before the games. She spoke to many people - but concentrated on James in the fabulous Hackney Pearl, the ever entertaining Al in White Post Lane - and me here in Leabank Square.
Of course - no journalist can ever capture the sheer cliff-like monstrosity of the Olympic site that faces us - but I tried to put across what most of us feel about the architecture.
More than anything - I spoke about what we all want after the games. Hackney Wick has always had the short straw as far as the construction work is concerned. We were the first to have buildings constructed - pulled down - re-constructed, pulled down again - and now rebuilding yet more temporary buildings directly opposite us - again for them to be demolished.
Then - we have about 5 more years of be-designing & building whoever takes over the media centre as well.
There is not one part of the Olympic site that will have had noise, dust & mayhem - only to be left with the most underwhelming architecture for us to stare at for many decades to come!!
I told Caroline all this - and I think she did a very good article on balance. She got over what most of us feel about all the decade of disruption the Olympics have brought to Hackney Wick.
For link to the article - see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jul/25/2012-olympics-hackney
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7 comments:
Thanks Sóna, James & Al - it all helps to keep the Hackney Wick architecture watchers on their toes. We cannot have any more Biggs Square popping up!
Eileen
Hey Dude.
Seems like you got most of our concerns acroos anyway. Thanks for the cuppa. We LOVE the Purple Garden!!
Come up to the roof again any time you want.
Pete & Jen
Cheers for passing on our worries mate. Good article.
Al
Saw the article and thought: 'yay, finally something about the Olympics that means something to me & represents my views'
I think Ruth has hit the nail on the head. The Olympic bods all presume to know what's good for the Wick, but in reality, we are a bit worried about what their vision for us all is.
Thanks for putting across a few of our worries Sona, maybe we should invite a few more journos down the Wick
Sóna did you get on to the Biggs Square disaster with Caroline? The more we can point to the crap designs and say - we don't want anymore of that - the better.
God knows we have enough bad examples all around us.
Have you seen the Lesney Factory shooting up ever higher?
Derek
Hello everyone,
I am a postgraduate student writing my thesis concerning Hackney Wick and how the Olympic legacy (the olympic park and the regeneration of the area) will affect Wick and its residents. I am searching for people that live or work there to fill a survey that I am conducting. I would be grateful if you could spend no more than 10 minutes to fill my survey and have your thoughts about the area and the possible effects from the Olympics and if it is possible to pass the link to other people who work or live in Hackney Wick and are willing to help with my research. Thank you so much for your time!
Kind regards,
Emmanouil
this is the link for the survey
http://www.surveyshare.com/s/AQAWI6A
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