London, United Kingdom
The Millennium Dome was a major addition to the London skyline, but once the Millennium Experience exhibition ended on Dec. 31, 2000, it seemed like nobody knew what to do with it. Enter AEG, who saw an opportunity to create the world’s number one entertainment destination. With the help of Populous, they would achieve that goal.
Formerly the Millennium Dome, the O2 Arena is one of the world’s most individual contemporary structures. When Populous was challenged by client AEG to construct a 20,000-seat arena inside it, the analogy of building a ship within a bottle — at the largest scale imaginable — came to mind. On top of this, the acoustics within the finished arena had to be world class in order to attract the caliber of artists that the sponsor was looking for. And, perhaps most challenging of all, we had to change the public’s perception of the Dome. Once seen as London’s biggest white elephant, our brand activation team had to turn it blue.
Logistically, the arena’s roof had to sit tightly beneath the dome liner fabric, separated from it by a minimum of four metres for air and smoke reservoir provisions. An innovative structural methodology meant the building cores and roof system could be erected without tower cranes. The arena’s design responds to its unique context, with public concourses wrapped around the event space and seating bowl. Dramatic lighting emphasises the scale and volume of the public space.
"The O2 Arena is without a doubt the best venue in the world."
The brief O2 and AEG set our brand activation team was to create a branded experience that didn’t feel like a standard corporate sponsorship — O2 wanted to express their brand values organically.
We used what we call ‘the DNA approach,’ ensuring the identity of O2 flows through the venue like blood through a human body. Signs glow blue, subconsciously reminding event-goers of the sponsor. The materials used are consistent with the O2 brand language. The exclusive O2 lounge has blue water tanks with air bubbles rising up through them, just as you see in O2 advertising. The O2 Arena breathes its brand.
The O2 brand activation is widely regarded as the most successful across any U.K. venue. It has transformed the perception of what corporate sponsorship and branding looks like. O2 is now a global name, indelibly marked in the public’s subconscious.
The venue has gone on to host some of the most significant events in sport and entertainment, from the ATP tennis finals, to Anthony Joshua claiming his first world heavyweight title, to the Monty Python reunion show, which sold out in 43 seconds. All that, and it continues to be the biggest ticket-selling arena in the world, out-selling its nearest rival by almost 50%.
On top of this, as the largest entertainment zone in London, The O2 has been a catalyst for the redevelopment of the Greenwich peninsula, prompting valuable additions to the area’s infrastructure such as the new riverboat service. In 2016, The Populous team revisited the arena, redeveloping the wayfinding identity on Concourse Level 1, while Populous’ interior design practice, Jump Studios, reinvigorated the concourse with a series of interlinked bars and open kitchens.
