The redevelopment of Olympia in west London is, in a word, magnificent. A new music arena for 4,400 people, a theatre, hotels, bars and restaurants; the order’s official website describes it as a “cultural landmark,” and while not everyone may agree with the name, it’s not without merit.
The project was approved by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in 2019 and has had its difficulties, including delays due to the pandemic. Earlier this year, however, the local authority approved a series of provisional licenses for Olympia, including for the arena and bar areas, in a major step forward for the project as a whole.
When the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) visited the site a few months ago, construction workers were busy, and the shell of the eventual complex was becoming increasingly defined.
Lloyd Lee, Managing Partner at Yoo Capital, one of the owners of the site, has since said that good progress is being made, with the main construction of most of the redevelopment to be completed by mid-2025. But where does the system currently stand and what exactly is expected deliver?
What will the Olympia redevelopment include?
The Olympia Exhibition Center is located in West Kensington, between Shepherd’s Bush and Earl’s Court, and was an important place in London for 130 years. Mainly associated with events such as Crufts and the Ideal Home Show, it also played host to musicians including Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd.
The site was bought by investment firms Yoo Capital, which is also behind the Shepherd’s Bush Market scheme, and Deutsche Finance International in 2017 for £296m, with the redevelopment plans approved two years later. The £1.3bn project will see the space transformed as a hub delivering a range of cultural and hospitality experiences. These will include large-scale gigs and theatrical performances at the 4,400-capacity Olympia Music Arena and the 1,575-seat Olympia Theatre.
Wetherby Arts School in partnership with The BRIT School will launch there in 2025. The redevelopment includes over 30 different places to eat “from artisan food markets to fine dining and everything in between” according to the developers. Described as “London’s next restaurant empire”, D3 Collective will launch a restaurant, bar, speakeasy and event space in 2025 at Pillar Hall in the Olympia development.
Concerns were raised at the licensing meetings about details of the project, such as the hotels’ evening opening hours and anti-social behaviour, as well as potential effects on local traffic. The applications were nevertheless approved, and an Olympia spokesman told LDRS after a meeting that an “exciting new chapter” had begun for the site.
When will the Olympia location fully reopen?
According to Mr Lee, the majority of the new spaces will start opening in the latter half of 2025. “Although this is a few months later than we had anticipated in 2019/2020, we could not anticipate global events such as Covid, economic fluctuations and the geopolitical uncertainty during the last few years,” he said. “We are delighted to have made such strong progress with our contractor Laing O’Rourke against this backdrop.”
What comes next?
While work continues on the redevelopment, a recent proposed change to the scheme has been submitted to Hammersmith and Fulham Council. This includes the installation of additional retail pavilions and a series of public realm improvements on Olympia Way, south of Kensington (Olympia) station entrance.
Mr Lee told the LDRS the proposals have been re-examined to “enhance the visitor experience to Olympia”, with plans in the north unchanged. The council’s planning portal lists an internal target date for making a decision of 11 November.
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