The ExCeL is getting a major makeover

The ExCel is already pretty huge. The events centre in east London covers a massive 100,000 square metres and hosts everything from major conferences to the Disney100 Exhibition. But planners have decided it’s still not big enough – so the centre is getting a major expansion in 2024. 

Proposals to scale up the centre have just been announced that’ll see it extended by around 25,084sqm, meaning that the ExCeL is getting about 25 percent bigger. All possible thanks to £220 million development scheme, the upgrades should be complete by October next year. 

When the work’s all done and dusted, the Excel will be the biggest integrated conference centre in all of Europe. And while we might not all go crazy over a convention, it’s an exciting prospect for the city to host even more major events and bring in visitors. 

Convention facilities, exhibition halls, conference rooms, high-end meeting rooms and new catering space are all on the cards for the extension. However, it’s not just the building’s interior that’s being graced with a glow-up. 

The public space around the centre will also be getting a bit of TLC, so there’s something for us non-conference-attendees to enjoy. Improved landscaping for pedestrians and cyclists, a new ‘pocket-park’ and green space by dock edge are all part of the plan, too. Here are some images of the designs. 

The steel structure, which is the first major part of the project, should be completed by the end of November, and there’s already a load of conferences booked in for years to come. 

The expansion of the ExCel is just one of many developments happening across the city right now. Others that have been covered by Time Out include the new viewing platform in Greenwich Park, and this £1.3 million housing project in Ladbroke Grove. London is constantly upgrading and changing, and we’ve got all the latest news on the city's developments. 

Did you see that The City of London will have 11 new skyscrapers by 2023?

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