Olympia - new hub for creative business
The events venue, Olympia, is to be redeveloped in a £700 million project to provide a new creative hub in West London and architects practice Thomas Heatherwick has revealed images of what the new façade will look like .
Future Cities Forum has been discussing the UK's need to provide new environments for the creative industries sector at our forums over the last two years.
At our fourth Future Cities Forum at the IET London, Andrew Harrison spoke about Swansea's plans to build a box park campus for students of the University of Wales Trinity St David and for collaborating creative and digital businesses. The SA1 development will provide a new home for the Faculties of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, Education and Communities and it will also include the Construction Wales Innovation Centre on former industrial land on the Swansea waterfront. This will be completed later in 2018 as part of the Welsh Government's and the City Council's aim to define Swansea as a City of Innovation.
Yesterday, within our 'Intellgent Cities' forum, at White City Place, London, we held a panel discussion with Prema Gurunathan, the Joint MD of Upstream. the joint venture formed by Hammersmith and Fulham Council and Imperial College London, to encourage and help young technology and creative businesses to settle in West London.
The architects' firm, Thomas Heatherwick, according to Dezeen has unveiled visuals for the creation of 55,000 square metres of offices and 6,000 square meters of space for co-working at Olympia, The centre which is 130 years old will have a new contemporary façade and pedestrianised walkways.
Olympia's owners, Deutsche Finance and Yoo Capital say it will rival similar venues across Europe and it is being seen as a supportive measure for the creative industries post Brexit.
This important topic will be part of our following autumn and spring conferences with follow-up round tables around the UK.