The £1.3 billion redevelopment of London's Olympia exhibition centre is a dazzling spectacle, blending the historic with the modern. The centerpiece is a stunning array of staircases and escalators, reminiscent of Aztec temples, rising above the original exhibition halls. This modern homage to the past is topped with a crinkle-cut glass vault, a sparkling tiara of cubic zirconia among the heritage diamonds. Looming behind it is a steroidal stepped office block, offering panoramic views of London. The Premier League's media production arm has already moved in, complete with a mini football pitch on its terrace.
Olympia has long been a hub of commerce and culture, from cat fancies and dog shows to concerts and trade fairs. The Ideal Home Show, founded in 1908 by the Daily Mail, was once the jewel in its crown. But it was the legendary 19th-century Hungarian impresario, Imre Kiralfy, who truly transformed the venue with his "illuminated aquatic festivities."
The venue's history is rich and varied, with the Grand Hall, designed by Henry Coe, embodying the puissance of Victorian engineering. The neighbouring Pillar Hall, where Vivienne Westwood held her first catwalk show, and the National Hall, a more modest version of the Grand, were also part of this architectural tapestry. The Empire Hall, designed by Joseph Emberton, added a jazz moderne touch to the site.
However, by the 20th century, Olympia was losing out to newer venues like Excel. Acquired by real estate firm Yoo Capital in 2017, the venue underwent a costly reboot and expansion, led by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC. The goal was to strip away the grungy additions, buff up the historic structures, and add shiny new implants.
The result is a city within a city, with over half a million sq ft of office space, 30 restaurants and bars, two hotels, a conference centre, gym, a 3,800-capacity music and events venue, and London's largest purpose-built theatre in 50 years. There's even a new secondary school, Wetherby Pembridge, occupying the refurbished shell of a multi-storey car park originally designed by Joseph Emberton.
The new additions bear the imprimatur of Thomas Heatherwick, known for his aversion to "boring" architecture. The result is a tendency to Tolkien-ise everything he touches, with pleated motifs and crinkle-cut details. This is ostensibly inspired by the glass gable end walls of the Grand Hall, which are vertically faceted for structural stability.
Despite the scale and challenges of the project, some changes are transformational. A new logistics centre streamlines operations, and Olympia Way has been reconfigured as a landscaped boulevard, revealing Coe's Italianate facades in all their Victorian glory. The statues of Demeter and Persephone gaze out on a very different London from 1885, but the newly engorged Olympia remains synonymous with spectacle.
In some ways, nothing has changed. The venue still accommodates spectacles as disparate as Miss World and the Chemical Brothers. But now, it's a destination, a city within a city, no longer just for lanyard wearers. The question remains: will it be enough to entice the Chelsea set?
