New 4,400 capacity music and exhibition venue proposed in Greenwich
Plans are in to construct an exhibition space and music venue in Greenwich beside the Thames.
There will be space for 1400 seats and around 3000 standees. It’ll be a two-storey basic box with uniform black cladding surrounding the building.
It’s good to see more venue in south east London for music. The o2 caters mainly to large arena acts which excludes many artists.
Nissen Richards are the architects behind these plans at Meridian Quays. The site would be used for 8-10 years until developer Knight Dragon decide to build housing. There’s no housing shortage afterall.
Still, good to have more music choice instead of lying vacant for a decade like neighbouring Morden Wharf.
The calendar of events is proposed to look something like this:
- 8 music concerts
- 8 exhibitions
- 20 conferences
- 10 award cenermonies
- 25 corporate parties
- 12 brand events
The submission states “There is excellent access to the bus network at the North Greenwich Transport Interchange, also linking to the DLR and rail services in Greenwich”.
The Design and Access Statement doesn’t mention that stealth cuts to buses in the area were recently made with more expected in December. It has previously been mooted that the 472 service would reduce during peak times from 12 at present to 7.5 per hour. The 180 would be re-directed from Lewisham yet would still result in a net reduction
Plans to upgrade the Jubilee Line upgrade have also been scrapped.
However, a new riverboat pier was submitted to Greenwich planners last October.
Will many visitors drive to park in the extensive car parks nearby?
The new venue will provide jobs and help expand the somewhat lacking live music choice in south east London away from large arena-sized acts. It’s just a shame that new homes are delayed by a decade. It’d make an ideal mixed-use quarter.
The planning reference is 18/1285/F and you can search and comment here.
Other developments in the area include a new shopping centre within the o2 opening later in 2018, with four million annual visitors expected. A design district and market are also coming.
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I used to do some casual Saturday work at Jacubaits Boatyard on this site in1985. Some real shenanigans happened here!
The building is just a ‘shoebox’ design and would be up and fitted out within a relatively short timespan. It is, however, quite close to the O2 and a couple of big acts at the same time will bring in twice the number of people than normal.
As for Knight Dragon’s holding off for eight to 10 years, would it be very cynical of me to suggest this is a controlled dripfeed of the market designed to keep prices high?
Now come on they have been much quicker than some in rgeir construction speed, with often 3 or 4 buildings being built at the same time.
Now if I remember the NW side was to be the most expensive part of the development. Remember all your bleating about all the social housing being built at the southern end! With recent price reductions in inner London and the ongoing glut of luxury flats in Battersea, a wiser developer may want some other temporary cash flow generators. Though there are plenty of examples where such temp uses lasted decades!
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