Olympia London to be transformed into a major creative hub in a £700 revamp project

In this £700 million project the 130-year-old exhibition venue will be completely overhauled, with over 55,000 square metres of offices and studios for creative businesses, and more than 6,000 square metres of space for co-working. The project is set to attract international talent as Olympia London has hosted a variety of historic exhibitions and concerts over the years.

The historic facade will be restored to pay homage to the history of Olympia London, as Deutsche Finance and Yoo Capital, the owners of the venue, wish to maintain the rich legacy of the location.

Today, the six-hectare venue hosts over 200 exhibitions and events each year. According to Gavin Neilan, Co-Managing Partner of Deutsche Finance International, ‘This investment heralds a new era in Olympia London’s history, with the opportunity to set itself apart on the global stage.’

Heatherwick has plans to transform the events centre into a major hub for the creative industries in West London. The visualisations that have been recently released include plans for the pedestrianisation of Olympia Way and the creation of new public spaces to host areas for performing arts and theatre space. Based in London, Heatherwick is working on several other projects including Google’s HQ and the Coal Drops Yard shopping centre, both in King’s Cross.

Londoners will get to see all of the visualisations in a public exhibition, ahead of a planning application in September.

For Neilan, the multi-million-pound investment will spark an exciting time for Europe’s exhibitions and events industry, with cities such as Frankfurt and Paris investing in its sites and continuing its annual growth across the creative industries.

The revamp of Olympia London will create an events centre to rival those of other European cities, putting London in the spotlight of foreign investment once again.