Heatherwick Studio will be leading the development with SPPARC. The precinct will create more than 3000 construction jobs and 5400 jobs when completed.

Olympic London will feature a 1500-seat theatre and 1000-seat performing arts venue in addition to two hotels, a coworking space, extensive cinema, creative office spaces and a logistics centre.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to work on this important but neglected piece of historic London, transforming Olympia into a revitalised place, not only for exhibitions but also for arts, culture, and entertainment,” said Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio. “Celebrating the original architectural innovation of the 132-year old exhibition halls, our vision aims to enhance the public experience of the site by creating over two acres of new publicly-accessible space for visitors and the local community to enjoy.”

The space will feature a ‘sky garden’, a public space covered with a spectacular glass roof that includes 38 eateries and an extensive public space.

Olympic Way will be pedestrianised and the historic façade of the building will be restored.

According to the site’s owners, YOO Capital and Deutsche Finance International, the venue is in discussion with some of the biggest names in entertainment and hospitality about taking the space with the first commercial partners to be announced in early 2019. 

“While Olympia is already much-loved, we’ve worked on finding a way to make the site more generous to its neighbours and equally, more efficient,” explained Eliot Postma, group leader at Heatherwick Studio. “Through a series of simple yet strategic moves, we’ve come up with a plan that opens the site up, improves service facilities, and creates new public spaces, bringing the site into a new era of use.”

The development is expected to begin construction in 2019 with first residences opening by 2023. 

Images courtesy of Heatherwick Studio