In the 18 months since the end of the Games, under the direction of the London Legacy Development Corporation, the Olympic Park has undergone a huge transformation which has already seen the re-opening of the northern half of the Park, as well as the Cooper Box Arena, Lee Valley VeloPark and Aquatics Centre.

On Saturday, the latest piece of the puzzle will open for Londoners, and those from the wider region, giving them the opportunity to see first-hand the changes that have taken place since the curtain came down on London 2012

Designed by James Corner Field Operations, who created New York's High Line in 2009, the south of the Park includes features such as the new tree-lined promenade with a "unique" globe lighting system, interactive water fountains,; adventure playground and four themed walking trails allowing visitors to explore the key sights of the London 2012 Games.

Children are given the opportunity to test out the new playground in the soon to be opened region of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park ©Getty Images


"In the 18 months since the end of the Paralympics, we have created a magnificent new Park for London with beautiful parklands and waterways and world-class sporting facilities," said Dennis Hone, chief executive of the Legacy Company.

"We want people to come and enjoy this new destination, whether they are reliving the memories of the golden summer of 2012 or experiencing it for the first time.

"The opening of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is not the end of the transformation story.

"We are building a new heart of East London creating jobs, building new homes, and bringing in investment, culture and education with partners like the Victoria and Albert Museum and University College London.

"It is a truly exciting time for all Londoners and we encourage people to come and see Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for themselves."

Standing tall amongst the parklands, waterways and world-class sporting venues, visitors will also have the chance to visit the iconic ArcelorMittal Orbit to experience a totally new perspective of London and the newly transformed Olympic Park.

At 114.5 metres tall, the Orbit allows visitors to see more than 20 miles across London, from either the 76m or 80m platforms, with tickets already on sale from £7 ($12/€8) for children and £15 ($25/€18) for adults.

At its foot is a sleek building called The Podium, housing ticketing, café, toilets and event space.

"We're really excited to be reopening the ArcelorMittal Orbit and welcoming visitors to experience a new perspective of London." said Vicky Martin, general manager of the ArcelorMittal Orbit.

"The ArcelorMittal Orbit was an icon of the London 2012 Games and we're thrilled that both local people and tourists will once again be able to admire the views into the city and over the Park.

"We are also proud that we are able to showcase local produce in the EastTwenty Bar & Kitchen, local crafts in our gift shop and to contribute to the regeneration of east London."

New water features sit in front of the iconic ArcelorMittal Orbit set to open on April 5 alongside the rest of the south of the Olympic Park ©Getty Images

As work continues on the Olympic Park, visitors can expect to see the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre open to the public in June.

The Centre boasts four indoor and six outdoor courts, as well as two of the best hockey pitches in the country.

Elite tournaments have already been pencilled in for the centre with the Investec London Cup in 2014, the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters from 2014 until 2016 and the European Hockey Championships all due to make their way to the Olympic Park over the next two years.

Work is also ongoing to transform the Olympic Stadium in preparation for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and its occupancy by West Ham United Football Club the following year.

The multi-purpose venue will also play host to the 2017 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships and the 2017 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships, with retractable seating currently being fitted to incorporate each sporting event.

More than a million visitors have already made their way to the Olympic Park since it partly reopened in July 2013, with officials hoping to see numbers in the region of three to four million over the next two to four years.

For more information, including how to book tickets for the ArcelorMittal Orbit, click here. 

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