Greenwich Gateway Pavilions

Forming the last ripple of the curve emanating from the O2 Arena is the Greenwich Peninsula’s new marketing hub on the banks of the Thames. The Greenwich Gateway Pavilions, designed by London Eye architects Marks Barfield, features a striking envelope with high performance curved double glazed units that give a seamless smooth external surface making it stand out from the crowd of quadrilateral buildings. The sleek facade, constructed by Waagner Biro, is designed to subtly change throughout the day triggered in response to the movement of the sun from east to west.

The hub, also known as the Gateway Pavilions, comprises of two pebble-shaped buildings linked by a curved, brass-trimmed canopy; a three dimensional form in standing seam roof with horizontal curved soffit tubes. The pavilions contain a contemporary art gallery, restaurant, exhibition place and show flats and will be passed by 8 million visitors to the O2 every year.

“It’s to do with place-making”, Julia Barfield. “We want to put the building in its place particularly in relation to the Dome.” The canopy is the last ripple of the curve emanating from the geometry of what was once known as the Millennium Dome. Its brass edge is a nod to the industrial past of the area.

Wintech have delivered full facade engineering consultancy services to the project for clients Knight Dragon, working with the professional team to identify improvements and to see that the most appropriate products and strategies have been utilised on the construction. This includes considering the thermal analysis of designs, examining the construction details and drawings, visual site reviews, witnessing tests and providing reports.