Olympia London Undergoing Major Redevelopment

Originally opened in 1886, Olympia London is currently undergoing a major redevelopment designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC Architects, whose aim is to position the new area as a hub for creative arts in West London. This development is due to open for the public in 2024.

Olympia London is an exhibition centre, event space and conference centre in West Kensington in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The centre currently consists of The Grand Hall, The Pillar Hall, Olympia National and the Olympia Central. On top of these existing events and exhibition spaces, there will be seven new buildings; these include a new theatre, a live music arena, office and studio spaces, restaurants, and two hotels.

The managing director of Olympia London, Nigel Nathan, said, “We’re creating more opportunities for all visitors to our iconic London venue.” The centre is already considered the capital’s busiest venue with 200 events attracting 1.6 million visitors a year. Once the redevelopments are completed, the numbers are most likely going to increase to an even larger figure.

John Hitchcox, the chairman of Yoo Capital, believes that the completed hub will boost Hammersmith & Fulham’s economy to £9m a year. He said, “It’s been a challenging year for the events, live entertainment, retail and hospitality sectors, but this is a clear indication of confidence in this iconic landmark as a destination for culture and creativity.”

The branding for the whole area of Olympia London has been led by SomeOne, an organisation who work to strategically launch, relaunch, and manage brands around the world. They have led the creation of a new visual identity for Olympia London, drawing on the historic buildings and with a brand strategy around the idea that “it’s showtime”. The founder of SomeOne, David Law, has hopes that this new development will also rival the more recently regenerated area of King’s Cross “in terms of its impact on London’s future”.

We are very excited to see what Olympia London has to offer once it is fully opened. Until then, keep a look out for further news on new developments, as we still have until 2024 to wait for its completion.