A competition to design a new public space for London - including two visitor centres and a playground - has been launched by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC).

Interested teams have been given five weeks to come forward with expressions of interest for the scheme, with the contest advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union. The contest aims to seek designs for two distinctive areas - the first to welcome crowds to the south plaza and Olympic Park and boasting an urban landscape similar to the South Bank.

Included in the first area will be a visitor centre; outdoor event space; water features; and play facilities, along with a skate park. It will be sited near venues such as the Olympic Stadium. Meanwhile, a second area will be located in the green river valley created for the 2012 Games and will boast a visitor centre with café and indoor space for schools and community groups.

OPLC chief executive Andrew Altman said: "The south park will be London's newest and most exciting public space, welcoming the world to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. "With millions of people expected to visit the Park each year, this is a unique opportunity for design teams to create exceptional places that match the stunning mix of iconic venues and parkland that surround them."

Details: OPLC Design Competition