In our regular focus on local monuments, Julia Omari explains the history behind Stratford Shopping Centre’s now famous ‘Stratford Shoal’.

The 2012 Olympics bought a much needed facelift to Stratford. Some called the area ugly, but maybe old was a better description. The name Stratford was first recorded in 1067 as an area that started life as a small space in the northwest part of West Ham. Over time, as spaces were built upon, the peaceful green hamlet grew slowly into the busy concrete town we see today.

Stratford Shopping Centre opened in 1974 with a refurbishment in 1998, while looking good for its day the attractiveness waned, and in 2009, with the Olympics just around the corner, a competition was launched to find a way to improve the appearance of the original mall entrance, opposite Stratford station.

The winning design called the Stratford Shoal, created by Studio Egret West was unveiled in 2013 revealing 73 naturally coloured titanium leaves that sit on treelike trunks and change colour in response to the amount of light hitting them. The 250 meter long sculpture, which also moves in the wind, instantly improved the appearance of the centre and once again gave Stratford a modern glow.

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