Designed for Consolidated Developments, the Outernet provides circa 250,000 sq ft at the heart of London’s West End. St Giles Circus was transformed by the arrival of Crossrail with a large portion of the urban block demolished to make way for below ground works, requiring Orms to insert new elements which aesthetically and programmatically respond to the retained fragments and provide a coherent point of transition into Soho, Covent Garden, Bloomsbury and the West End.
70% of the masterplan’s existing buildings have been retained with new architecture providing a contemporary backdrop to Oxford Street. The new buildings are a highly crafted black and gold ode to the West ends cinematic and theatrical roots, recalling the sense of newness embodied by 1920’s and 30’s Cinemas such as the nearby Odeon Leicester Square designed by Harry Weedon, which in their era were architectural emblems of a new media experience.
At the heart of the scheme lies the restoration of the Grade II-listed 17th-century blacksmiths forge, which pays homage to David Bowie’s former band with a below-ground space named ‘The Lower Third‘. Central to the Outernet’s offerings is ‘Here at Outernet,’ London’s largest purpose-built live events venue since WWII. The financial sustainability of the music-led ecosystem is supported by LED screen-lined galleries hosting cultural and branded events, generating revenue to subsidise music activities across the site. These screens enhance the concert experience and provide glimpses into the activity below ground, exemplified by The Urban Gallery, featuring an immersive 8K screen surface paired with surround sound.
As a new district, with daily footfall of 223,000, it exemplifies how London’s future can be enriched by listening and engaging with community and industry groups, still connect to its past, and use new technology to create a viable and inclusive city.
Designed for Consolidated Developments, the Outernet provides circa 250,000 sq ft at the heart of London’s West End. St Giles Circus was transformed by the arrival of Crossrail with a large portion of the urban block demolished to make way for below ground works, requiring Orms to insert new elements which aesthetically and programmatically respond to the retained fragments and provide a coherent point of transition into Soho, Covent Garden, Bloomsbury and the West End.
70% of the masterplan’s existing buildings have been retained with new architecture providing a contemporary backdrop to Oxford Street. The new buildings are a highly crafted black and gold ode to the West ends cinematic and theatrical roots, recalling the sense of newness embodied by 1920’s and 30’s Cinemas such as the nearby Odeon Leicester Square designed by Harry Weedon, which in their era were architectural emblems of a new media experience.
At the heart of the scheme lies the restoration of the Grade II-listed 17th-century blacksmiths forge, which pays homage to David Bowie’s former band with a below-ground space named ‘The Lower Third‘. Central to the Outernet’s offerings is ‘Here at Outernet,’ London’s largest purpose-built live events venue since WWII. The financial sustainability of the music-led ecosystem is supported by LED screen-lined galleries hosting cultural and branded events, generating revenue to subsidise music activities across the site. These screens enhance the concert experience and provide glimpses into the activity below ground, exemplified by The Urban Gallery, featuring an immersive 8K screen surface paired with surround sound.
As a new district, with daily footfall of 223,000, it exemplifies how London’s future can be enriched by listening and engaging with community and industry groups, still connect to its past, and use new technology to create a viable and inclusive city.
John McRae
Director