Earls Court and Olympia, which is set to lose its Earls Court exhibition halls after the 2012 Olympics, has officially announced it is consulting with stakeholders and residents regarding plans to enhance Olympia as an exhibition and conference centre.

The multi-million pound development would aim to preserve the fabric of the historic buildings while also making the internal space both easier to access and more flexible for organisers to use.

The proposed works include:

• Redeveloping the West Hall in its existing footprint, adding a floor and creating links to the Grand Hall and Olympia Two. The Hall will be designed to be used either in conjunction with other spaces or independently. Plans include incorporating a visitor entrance on Blythe Road to improve the street frontage. The plans will also improve pedestrian access around the building and provide opportunities to enhance the aesthetics of the exterior.
• Refurbishing the Olympia Two building, including infilling the atrium on Level One, to create better exhibition and conferencing space.

A recent exhibition at Olympia allowed residents to discuss plans and the Olympia team are now consulting with organisers. The process forms part of its consultation in advance of submitting the proposals for planning permission and listed building consent to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in the near future.

Group MD for EC&O Venues, Nigel Nathan, said: “This is an extremely exciting project for Olympia and it is our aim to enhance and refurbish the venue to help it maintain its position as a world-class venue going forward. We believe the investment will provide organisers with new flexibility for their events and enhance the visitor experience.”