Olympia London Reopens After £1.3 Billion Renovation

Olympia in West Kensington, London, has reopened after a £1.3 billion transformation led by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC. Originally opened in 1886 as the National Agricultural Hall, the Victorian venue hosted spectacles like the Paris Hippodrome Circus with 400 performers and 300 horses, later welcoming Vivienne Westwood's first runway show and concerts by Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix. However, it had become outdated compared to newer venues like ExCeL. The renovation, begun in 2020, partially opened in summer 2026, adding live music spaces, hotels, restaurants, a theatre, and public areas. Two cascading escalators under biophilic-inspired glass roofing lead to the glazed 'Canopy', featuring five curved steel arches spanning 22m each and 520 pleated glass panels. New hotels include CitizenM (146 rooms in the Grade II-listed National Hall) and Hyatt Regency London Olympia. The British Airways ARC, a 3,800-capacity venue, has opened; a rooftop dining destination and the 1,575-seat British Airways Theatre (largest new permanent London theatre in nearly 50 years) are due in 2027. Annual footfall is estimated at ten million, contributing over £600 million to the UK economy. Thomas Heatherwick described the project as reimagining Olympia as part of London's everyday life, creating a public street atop heritage halls.