Discovering the International Quarter London – spoiler: It’s fabulous
When I first moved to Walthamstow, just over 5 years ago, I was aware of lots of building and construction over in Stratford, but I had no idea what was actually going on. We’d pop to Westfield for some bits and bobs and then jump on the bus straight home.
Little did I know that five years later there would be a brand new neighbourhood in the heart of Stratford, right bang in between Westfield, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the London 2012 Olympic facilities and the East Bank, which is soon to be the home to V&A East, Sadler’s Wells, BBC Music and campuses for the London College of Fashion. It is named IQL – International Quarter London, it is full of fabulous and innovative design and there are some wonderful new sights to be seen…
“All eyes are on Stratford – E20 is London’s hippest postcode right now” – British Vogue
I took the 97 bus from Walthamstow and 20 mins later hopped off at Stratford International Station. Five minutes later (gentle walking!) I was approaching Endeavour Square and could see The Pavilion, standing proudly and beautifully, with folk in it, around it and on it.. it’s an impressive sight.
IQL’s landmark building is designed by award-winning contemporary architects ACME, who have done a wonderful job of creating a kind of ‘vertical piazza’, with stepped levels from all sides, which invite us all to gather and sit freely, enjoying views of the park from the roof terrace.
It is the home of Haugen – D&D’s latest hospitality concept – an all-day brasserie, café, restaurant and rooftop bar, serving their version of Alpine dining, which takes its inspo from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. The vibe inside is glamourous, relaxed and cosy. It all feels very accessible and easy, while being extremely beautiful. I loved the sheepskin covered chairs and snugs inside and outside…
If you look down to Endeavour Square from the roof terrace, you can see an optical tiled floor installation – ‘Labyrinth of a Straight Line’. This is a public artwork by East London based art collective Troika, consisting of a labyrinthine, twisting, turning and meandering path of tessellated natural stone… and if you weren’t looking out for it, you might just walk past or over it, without realising what it is! It’s definitely worth popping up to the roof terrace to take a proper look – it’s quite amazing.
The Hothouse also sits in the square – an iconic structure inspired by the old Victorian glasshouses – designed by architects Studio Weave, with all the planting designed by Tom Massey.
The Hothouse has a carefully controlled habitat and temperature, which means that it’s able to cultivate plants that would otherwise not be easily grown here in the UK, including avocado, mango, pomegranate and citrus trees. If climate change continues to accelerate at its current rate, all the crops you see in The Hothouse could be grown normally in the UK in less than 30 years time – by 2050.
After a cheeky coffee and croissant in The Pavilion and a lovely long stroll about, it was time to hop on the bus home, which saw me walking through the IQL Moveable Orchard in the heart of Endeavour Square. Designed by Tom Massey, this ‘mobile’ orchard is currently composed of 10 fruit trees, with 10 more being added this November. Each tree is in its own moveable planter which have integrated benches incorporated, so you can sit back, fill your senses with the glorious scent of fresh apples and gaze at the stunning fountains that are impressively leaping about and dancing in front of The Pavillion.
This new neighbourhood has changed the face of Stratford forever and I can’t wait to go back with Izzy to have a delicious lunch at Haugen, dance around the fountains, look at all the beautiful design and whizz up in the lift to the Pavilion’s roof terrace, where I can show her the views and tell her all about that wonderful and thrilling time when the Olympics came to town…
Stratford, you are looking mighty fine.
This post is sponsored by IQL
valerie
It looks fabulous indeed!
Korio
Hello! Your post resonates very strongly with the emotions that I have in my soul right now. I was single for two years. I thought that nothing could pull me out of this state. But suddenly my friend advised me to pay attention to web site here. I’m not that good at communication, but it’s very simple here. I easily found common themes with local members.