Millennium Dome

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The O2

Building
Type Arena
Architectural Style Dome
Structural System Steel & tensioned fabric
Location London, England
Construction
Completed 2000
Design Team
Architect Richard Rogers
Structural engineer Buro Happold
Services engineer Buro Happold
Awards and Prizes Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award
"The O2" redirects here. For the Berlin, Germany arena, see O2 World.

Coordinates: 51°30′10.14″N, 0°0′11.22″E

The Millennium Dome, frequently referred to simply as The Dome, is a large dome shaped building on the Greenwich peninsula in south east London, the United Kingdom. The name was officially changed to The O2 when O2 plc purchased the naming rights from the developers, Anschutz Entertainment Group.

The Dome was constructed to hold a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium. This exhibition opened to the public on January 1, 2000 and ran until December 31, 2000; however the project and exhibition was the subject of considerable political controversy and did not attract the number of visitors anticipated in its planning and attributed costs.

Since the closure of the original exhibition, several possible ways of reusing the building have been proposed and then rejected. The renaming of the dome on May 31, 2005 gave publicity to the Dome's transition into an indoor sporting arena. In this role the plan is to host the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships and the artistic gymnastics and basketball events of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games,[1] as well as two National Hockey League games in 2007. The sports area will be complemented by a substantial entertainments district.

Contents

[edit] Construction

Aerial view of the Millennium Dome, with North Greenwich tube station to the left
Aerial view of the Millennium Dome, with North Greenwich tube station to the left
The Millennium Dome, seen from the Isle of Dogs.
The Millennium Dome, seen from the Isle of Dogs.

The Millennium Dome is the largest single-roofed structure in the world. Externally it appears as a large white marquee with 100 m-high yellow support towers, one for each month of the year, or each hour of the clock face, representing the role played by Greenwich Mean Time. In plan view it is circular, 365 m in diameter — one metre for each day of the year — with scalloped edges. It has become one of the United Kingdom's most recognisable landmarks. It can easily be seen on aerial photographs of London. Its exterior is reminiscent of the Dome of Discovery built for the Festival of Britain in 1951. The architect was Richard Rogers.

The building structure was engineered by Buro Happold, and the entire roof structure weighs less than the air contained within the building. Although called a dome it is not strictly one as it is not self-supporting, but is a mast-supported, dome-shaped cable network.[2]

The canopy is made of PTFE coated glass fibre fabric, a durable and weather-resistant plastic, and is 50 m high in the middle. Its symmetry is interrupted by a hole through which a ventilation shaft from the Blackwall Tunnel rises.

Apart from the dome itself, the project included the reclamation of the entire Greenwich peninsula. The land was previously derelict and contaminated by toxic sludge from an earlier gasworks that operated from 1889 to 1985. The clean-up operation was seen by the then Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine as an investment that would add a large area of useful land to the crowded capital. This was billed as part of a larger plan to regenerate a large, sparsely populated area to the east of London and south of the River Thames, an area initially called the East Thames Corridor but latterly marketed as the "Thames Gateway".

The area is served by North Greenwich tube station, which was opened just before the Dome, on the Jubilee Line.

[edit] Background to the Dome Project

The Dome project was conceived, originally on a somewhat smaller scale, under John Major's Conservative government, as a Festival of Britain or World's Fair-type showcase to celebrate the third millennium. The incoming Labour government elected in 1997 under Tony Blair, greatly expanded the size, scope and funding of the project. It also significantly increased expectations of what would be delivered. Just before its opening Blair claimed the Dome would be "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity".[3] In the words of BBC correspondent Robert Orchard, "the Dome was to be highlighted as a glittering New Labour achievement in the next election manifesto".

However before its opening the Dome was excoriated in Iain Sinclair's diatribe, Sorry Meniscus - Excursions to the Millennium Dome (Profile Books: London 1999, ISBN 1861971796), which accurately forecast the hype, the political posturing and the eventual disillusion.

[edit] Millennium celebrations

The Dome at night, Sept 2000
The Dome at night, Sept 2000

During the whole of 2000 the Dome was open to the public, and contained a large number of attractions and exhibits.

[edit] The exhibits

The interior space was subdivided into 14 zones (with the lead designers of the zones):

Who we are:

- Body, sponsored by Boots, supported by L'Oreal and Roche (Branson Coates Architecture)

- Mind, sponsored by BAE Systems and Marconi (Office of Zaha Hadid)

- Faith (Eva Jiricna Architects with Jasper Jacobs Associates)

- Self Portrait, sponsored by Marks & Spencer (Caribiner with Lorenzo Apicella at Pentagram), sculpture design by Gerald Scarfe

What we do:

- Work, sponsored by Manpower (WORK)

- Learning, sponsored by Tesco (WORK)

- Rest (Richard Rogers Partnership)

- Play (Land Design Studio)

- Talk, sponsored by BT (Imagination)

- Money, sponsored by the City of London (Caribiner with Bob Baxter at Amalgam)

- Journey, sponsored by Ford Motor Company (Imagination)

Where we live:

- Shared Ground, sponsored by Camelot Group plc (WORK)

- Living Island (WORK)

- Home Planet, sponsored by British Airways and BAA (Park Avenue Productions)

Some of the Zones were perceived as lacking in content and pandering to political correctness. The Journey Zone, outlining the history and development of transport, was one of the few singled out for praise.

The Tower that ate People arose from the floor during the stage show
The Tower that ate People arose from the floor during the stage show

The central stage show was accompanied by music composed by Peter Gabriel and an acrobatic cast of 160. The show was performed 999 times over the course of the year. Throughout the year, the specially-commissioned film Blackadder: Back & Forth was shown in a separate cinema on the site. These features escaped a great deal of the criticism that was heaped on the rest of the project, although the lyrics and meaning of the stage show were considered difficult to follow by many, and the Blackadder film was noted for being neither as sharp or funny as the original four series and specials. The music from the stage show was later released on Gabriel's album OVO (complete with lyrics). There is apparently no video record of the show, though arguably it would be difficult to capture a show of such large scale on video. Had the higher forecasts of attendance proved correct, then the visitors' enjoyment could have been reduced by queueing and congestion.

There was also the McDonald's Our Town Story project in which each Local Education Authority in the UK was invited to perform a show of their devising which characterised their area and its people.

[edit] Other attractions

There were a number of other attractions both in and outside the Dome. Inside the Dome there was a play area named Timekeepers of the Millennium (featuring the characters Coggs and Sprinx), The Millennium Coin Minting Press in association with the Royal Mint, the 1951 Festival of Britain Bus, and the Millennium Jewels. Outside was the Millennium Map (13 metre height), the Childhood Cube, Looking Around (a hidden installation), Greenwich Pavilion, the Hanging Gardens at the front of the Dome, as well as a number of other installations and sculpture.

[edit] Financial and management problems

The project was largely reported by the press to have been a flop: badly thought-out, badly executed, and leaving the government with the embarrassing question of what to do with it afterwards. During 2000 the organisers repeatedly asked for, and received, more cash from the Lottery body which supported it; the Millennium Commission. Numerous changes at management and Board level, before and during the exhibition, had only limited, if any, results. Press reports suggested that Blair personally placed a high priority on making the Dome a success. But part of the problem was that the financial predictions were based on an unrealistically high forecast of visitor numbers at 12 million. During the 12 months it was open there were approximately 6.5 million visitors — slightly more than the 6 million that attended the Festival of Britain, which only ran from May to September. Unlike the press, visitor feedback was extremely positive. It was the most popular tourist attraction in 2000, second was the London Eye; third was Alton Towers, which had been first in 1999. In 2005 the London Eye was number one and Alton Towers number two.

According to the UK National Audit Office,[4] the total cost of the Millennium Dome at the liquidation of the New Millennium Experience Company in 2002 was £789 million, of which £628 million was covered by National Lottery grants and £189 million through sales of tickets etc. A surplus of £25 million over costs meant that the full lottery grant was not required. However, the £603 million of lottery money was still £204 million in excess of the original estimate of £399 million required, due to the shortfall in visitor numbers.[5]

[edit] The aftermath

The Millennium Dome is now normally closed. The failure of the project to match the hype became and remains a continuing embarrassment to the Labour government. It is still of interest to the press, the government's difficulties in disposing of the Dome being the subject of much critical comment. The amount spent on maintaining the closed building has also been criticised. Some reports indicated the Dome was costing £1 million per month to maintain during 2001, but the government claimed these were exaggerations.

Following closure of the Dome some Zones were dismantled by the sponsoring organisations, but much of the content was auctioned. This included a number of artworks specially commissioned from contemporary British artists. A piece by Gavin Turk was sold for far below his then auction price though Turk stated that he did not think the piece had worked. A unique record of the memorabilia and paraphernalia of the MEX is held by a private collector [1] in the U.S.A.

In December 2001 it was announced that Meridian Delta Ltd had been chosen by the government to develop the Dome as a sports and entertainment centre, and to develop housing, shops and offices on 150 acres (0.6 km²) of surrounding land. It is also hoped to relocate some of London's tertiary education establishments to the site. Meridian Delta is backed by the American billionaire Philip Anschutz, who has interests in oil, railways, and telecommunications, as well as a string of sports-related investments.

[edit] Winter Wonderland 2003

Despite an ongoing debate about the Dome's future use (see aftermath above), the Dome opened again during December 2003 for the Winter Wonderland 2003 experience. The event culminated in a laser and firework display on New Year's Eve.

[edit] Crisis Open Christmas Shelter 2004

Over the 2004 Christmas period, part of the main Dome was used as a shelter for the homeless and others in need, organized by the charity Crisis.

[edit] Reopening proposals

The Millenium Dome, with the Canary Wharf complex in the background, seen from the River Thames. The London 2012 logo, which has now been removed from the Dome, can be seen advertising the fact that it would be an Olympic venue
The Millenium Dome, with the Canary Wharf complex in the background, seen from the River Thames. The London 2012 logo, which has now been removed from the Dome, can be seen advertising the fact that it would be an Olympic venue

The O2 is being redeveloped by Anschutz Entertainment Group to a design by HOK SVE and Buro Happold and is scheduled to reopen in 2007. As part of the investment programme, naming rights were sold to O2 plc; whilst 'The O2' has become the official name of the project, there are no signs that the press and public have any intention of giving up referring to it simply as 'The Millennium Dome' or just 'The Dome' (see references below, passim).

The investment by Anschutz was partly conditional on the granting of a 'super casino' licence by the British government. As a consequence, the association of the British Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, with Philip Anschutz, head of the entertainment group, has given rise to serious political controversy in Britain with allegations that Prescott may have used undue influence to support Anschutz.[6] Without the licence, Anschutz's investment is reduced by half, to about £350m.

As of 2007-01-30, the licence for a super casino was granted to Manchester, therefore leaving the status of the investment in doubt. With talk of legal challenges by Mr Anschutz, it remains to be seen if the Dome's reopening will continue as planned.[7] The proposed 2007 'King Tutankhamen' exhibition at the Dome was touted as the first casualty of the casino licence outcome, with rumours that it would not proceed.[8] However, it has now been confirmed that it will go ahead - opening in November.

The building will contain an arena with a capacity of up to 20,000 for in the round events- in a 'horseshoe' layout similar to Sheffield Arena.

Anschutz is opening the O2 Dome on the 23nd June 2007 for all of its employees for a free event featuring Tom Jones, the Kaiser Chiefs and Basement Jaxx. This will be before the official reopening of the Dome to the public and will precede a programme of events set to launch the venue over summer. Justin Timberlake will play the first open-to-all concerts at the arena in July 2007, with The Rolling Stones, Scissor Sisters, Take That and Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds all having concerts booked for 2007.

The O2 Dome is believed to be in talks with the Association of Tennis Professionals to host the Tennis Masters Cup from 2009,[9] and will host two National Hockey League contests to start the 2007-08 season on September 29 and 30, both involving the Anschutz-owned Los Angeles Kings and their regional rivals from Southern California, the Anaheim Ducks.[10]

The O2 Dome will host the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships. At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games it will be used for artistic gymnastics, for which it will have a spectator capacity of 16,500, and for basketball finals, for which it will have a capacity of 20,000. Earlier rounds of the basketball competition will take place at one of the arenas in the Olympic Park. A 6,000 seat temporary venue called the Greenwich Arena will be built near The Millennium Dome and will stage the badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events.

[edit] Effects on political careers

Issues related to the Dome helped to finish Peter Mandelson's cabinet career.[11] It also did great damage to John Prescott's.[12] The scheme also did little to enhance Michael Heseltine's reputation, and was an early example of Tony Blair's often excessive optimism: "In the Dome we have a creation that, I believe, will truly be a beacon to the world."[13].

[edit] Chronology of the project

[edit] In popular culture

It can be seen in the background of the film Green Street, and in the title sequence of the popular soap opera EastEnders.

  • A book about the attempted robbery of the De Beers diamonds from the Dome was published in 2004. Written by crime journalist and author Kris Hollington, Diamond Geezers (ISBN 1843171228) also features a history of the Dome.
  • The Dome was featured for a few seconds prominently in the background during a sequence in the 2006 blockbuster The Da Vinci Code.
  • b3ta.com featured the dome in an image competition where users create images telling their ideas on how the dome should be used.
  • During the political controversy surrounding the dome in 1996 Wonder Bra ran an advertising campaign with the slogan 'Not all domes lack public support'.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ "Dome legacy is 'good for future'", BBC News, 2006-04-12. Retrieved on May 25, 2006.
  2. ^ ArchitectureWeek.com http://www.architectureweek.com/2003/0326/building_1-2.html
  3. ^ "Dome woes haunt Blair", BBC News, 2001-02-15. Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
  4. ^ National Audit Office (2002-04-17). Winding-up the New Millennium Experience Company Limited. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
  5. ^ http://www.millennium.gov.uk/lottery/experience.html
  6. ^ "Prescott 'broke ministers' rules'", BBC News, 2006-07-21. Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
  7. ^ Tempest, Matthew. "Las Vegas not coming to UK, says Jowell", The Guardian, 2007-01-30. Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
  8. ^ Pierce, Andrew. "Tutankhamen is casualty as Dome counts cost of losing out", Daily Telegraph, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on February 1, 2007.
  9. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2094-2415720,00.html
  10. ^ NHL Takes Its' Act on the Road — To England. Retrieved on March 02, 2007.
  11. ^ "Mandelson: Dome alone", BBC News, 1998-12-23. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
  12. ^ "A hollow man and an empty tent", The Guardian, 2006-07-07. Retrieved on January 31, 2007.
  13. ^ "Speech by Blair at Dome launch", 1998-02-24. Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
  14. ^ Steve Ginsburg (2007-02-17). Four NBA teams going to Europe in pre season. Reuters. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.

[edit] External links

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