The west London site is being transformed into a culture and entertainment hub
Des Gunewardena, formerly of restaurant group D&D London but now heading up new hospo company D3 Collective (which includes Engel & Jang at the Royal Exchange), is opening a big project at the new-look Olympia in west London. His venue, a restaurant, a cafe/grill, a central bar, an outdoor dining space and a basement speakeasy, will be taking up residence inside the 30,000 sq ft Pillar Hall, a Grade II-listed space originally built in 1885 by architect Henry Edward Coe. The 2025 version will be mixing many of the original design elements with a new interior, which will also include a 600-capacity new music and events space.
The Incipio Group (which runs The Prince, Pergola on the Wharf, The Palm House and Pergola Brixton amongst others), is opening four new venues at Olympia. There’s the two-level, 15,000 sq ft bar Arbour, which itself will be home to four food concepts, including gourmet fried chicken and smashburgers; rooftop spot Lillie’s, which will serve British small plates and English sparkling wines; the 300-cover Japanese restaurant and cocktail bar Wolves of Tokyo; and Juno, set to be the largest Italian restaurant in the UK, taking over 11,000 sq ft of space inside the Olympia National Hall building.
And that’s just scratching the surface of the Olympia redevelopment – when complete, the 14-acre site will boast two revamped exhibition venues, two hotels, 550,00 sq ft of office space, a 4,000-capacity music arena, a state-of-the-art theatre and more than 30 bars and restaurants, at a cost of £1.3bn.
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Key information
Opening date | 2025
Address | Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX
For more information | olympia.co.uk