project

O2 Riverwalk, Greenwich – 150m Tensile Fabric VIP Walkway with Interactive LED Lighting

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General information

  • Home page
    https://www.architen.com/projects/o2-riverwalk/
  • Location address
    The O2, Greenwich Peninsula, London, UK
  • Location country
    United Kingdom
  • Year of construction
    2007
  • Name of the client/building owner
    AEG
  • Function of building
    Shelters
  • Degree of enclosure
    Open structure
  • Climatic zone
    Temperate - cold winters and mild summers
  • Number of layers
    mono-layer
  • Type of application of the membrane
    covering
  • Primary function of the tensile structure
    • Rain protection
    • Space defining elements
    • Sun protection

Description

In 2007, as AEG redeveloped the former Millennium Dome into The O2, Architen Landrell was appointed to design, manufacture and install a covered walkway linking the venue to the Queen Elizabeth II Pier on the River Thames, creating a weatherproof VIP arrival route for guests coming by river.

The walkway runs for around 150m from the riverside to the entrance of the entertainment centre. Designers Barr Gazetas enclosed it in a woven willow wall for privacy and exclusivity, and topped it with a symmetrical, gently curving tensile fabric roof that gives complete weather protection. The soft, translucent membrane provides a graceful contrast to the industrial character of the Dome while relating naturally to its landmark fabric roof.

The client also wanted real impact on arrival. Architen Landrell designed and supplied an interactive lighting system using colour-changing LED fittings and programmable control, so the walkway lights up in a range of colours and effects as guests move along it. The scope also included refurbishing the existing lighting, replacing more than a thousand lamps and servicing the control equipment.

The package extended to two inverted umbrella canopies on the pier pontoon and three inverted cone canopies on the bankside canting brow. Redundant existing steelwork was reused at the client's request, and Architen Landrell delivered the complete design, fabric and lighting package as the most cost-effective option after a rigorous selection process.

Client/building owner: AEG. Designer: Barr Gazetas. Fabric and lighting design, fabrication and installation: Architen Landrell.

Description of the environmental conditions

Exposed riverside site on the Thames at Greenwich, temperate climate. The PVC-coated polyester walkway roof and canopies provide rain and sun protection for arriving guests, with integrated interactive LED lighting.

Material of the cover

  • Cable-net/Fabric/Hybrid/Foil
    Cable
  • Material Fabric/Foil
    PVC - coated polyester fabric

Main dimensions and form

Duration of use

  • Temporary or permanent structure
    Permanent

Involved companies

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