The Lee Navigation Canal

The Lee Navigation Canal runs through one of the most socially, architecturally and historically diverse parts of east London. Following the 2012 Olympic and Legacy Masterplans, both sides went through significant change. The canal route unveils a myriad of public and private investments and the ongoing transformation of this piece of the city, which continues to undergo redevelopment today.

In this film, Emad Sleiby (Associate Director at Allies and Morrison) and Eleanor Fawcett (formerly Head of Design at the LLDC) lead a tour of the canal as a shared space joining the new Legacy neighborhoods and the fast changing neighbourhoods of Hackney Wick and Fish Island. The tour discusses the challenges of managing change on either side of the canal and the role of new bridges, connections, new public open spaces, a new town centre and social infrastructure in stitching the Olympic site with the city.

This film is part of a three part series, exploring the role of wellbeing and architecture around East London, kindly supported by Allies and Morrison. View the others in the series: Core Landscapes and The Olympic Park