Wednesday June 14, 2006

ExCeL London - May 2006 - ExCeL London has appointed world-renowned architectural and urban design practices to design its Phase 2 events extension and to master plan the entire 100-acre campus.

Grimshaw architects are internationally acclaimed and have won numerous awards for their design and construction, such as the Eden Project, Lord's Grandstand, the International Terminal at Waterloo and Frankfurt Trade Fair Hall. They will be responsible for the design of the proposed 36,000sqm extension to the venue, ensuring it meets the high standards of the existing facility whilst helping to enrich the local and business community it serves.

Urban Strategies are a Canadian planning and urban design firm with an outstanding reputation for campus and waterfront design, including recent awards for Silvertown Quays in the Royal Docks. They will be creating a plan that provides clear direction for the future image of the ExCeL London campus whilst responding to a range of development opportunities that continue to take place.

This holistic plan will take into account the growth of the business, open spaces; the waterfront location, traffic and visitor flow to create an innovative design that is both visionary and achievable.

Commenting on the appointments, Jamie Buchan, Chief Executive of ExCeL London says: "These appointments signify the importance which ExCeL London attributes to the design of Phase 2 and to the overall campus environment. ExCeL London is a serious, long-term player in the international exhibition and conference markets and will support its position through both capital investment and service innovation. Between now and the 2012 Olympic Games, London has a unique opportunity to showcase the Capital as the world's leading business and event destination. ExCeL London will play a major part in this."

Said Sir Nicholas Grimshaw: "We are delighted to have been selected for this important project in such a prime London location. The extension of the venue will enable ExCeL to broaden the range of exhibitions and bolster its profile as a key international venue. Grimshaw's reputation is very much founded on our early large-span structures, creating efficient, cost effective yet striking buildings.
Our design approach is always informed by the need to develop a sustainable built environment, exemplified by our ongoing work at the Eden Project. We adopt a system that assists our architects to understand and assess the impact that our projects have on the environment. We look forward to bringing this experience to ExCeL and working closely with the client to complete the project."

This second phase, will take ExCeL London to 100,000 sqm of flexible space and could be completed as early as the end of 2009. It will represent a major investment in providing event facilities of world scale in London, as well as supporting the capital’s ambition to host an increasing number of high profile domestic and international shows.