Earls Court

The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) has announced the engagement of three architectural teams to advance the initial phase of the Earls Court Exhibition Centres site's development. This initiative aims to bring forth innovative, sustainable architecture, opening up the former Exhibition Centre site to the public for the first time in 150 years.

The ambitious project is set to create a significant portion of the development in its first phase, introducing a new east-west public route across the site. This phase focuses on providing ample open spaces and immediate benefits for the entire community.

The development's initial phase encompasses the construction of approximately 1,300 mixed-tenure homes, including affordable housing options, in addition to cultural spaces and office areas. These elements are poised to generate job opportunities, with construction scheduled to commence in 2025.

Fifteen architectural firms were selected to align with ECDC's vision, emphasizing the restoration of the former Exhibition Centre site. The vision incorporates aspects such as community integration, showcasing world-class creativity, setting a benchmark for future urban development, and addressing environmental concerns.

The project underscores extensive community engagement, aiming to create an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. This commitment has led to the appointment of SLA, a renowned Danish landscape architecture firm, to oversee the landscape design across the entire development.

The newly appointed architect and landscape architect teams will collaborate with masterplanners Hawkins Brown and Studio Egret West to detail designs for the first phase. The project, developed through ongoing consultations since 2019, has advanced to the draft masterplan stage, with the next phase of consultations scheduled to commence in the upcoming year. The project targets planning application submissions to both LBHF and RBKC in Q4 2023.