The Pavilion
Architect: ACME
Location: London, England
Type: Pavilion
Year: 2021
Photographs: Hufton + Crow
The following description is courtesy of the architects. A new timber-framed building, the Pavilion, which stands at the gateway to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, has opened its doors and is set to become a new landmark meeting place in east London. The Pavilion sits in the heart of Endeavour Square within Stratford City Business District’s (SCBD) mixed use neighbourhood, International Quarter London (IQL).
Enjoying unrivalled views across London and the 560 acres of greenspace at the Park, the Pavilion is located yards from East Bank, where an increasing cluster of world-leading universities, arts and cultural institutions are basing themselves alongside an array of commercial, technology, manufacturing and retail businesses. Stratford is fast transforming into one of London’s most exciting new destinations to visit, work, live and learn. The Pavilion was designed by award-winning international contemporary architects ACME. Conceived as a ‘vertical piazza’, it has stepped levels arranged on all sides in the form of stairs, balconies and amphitheatres that encourage exploration, providing several look out points and sitting places. The public is invited to enjoy views of the park from the public rooftop terrace. The building houses a visitors’ centre for the Park, and D&D London’s latest hospitality concept, Haugen, a delicatessen, brasserie and café inspired by Alpine dining, with interiors designed by award-winning creative studio Afroditi.
Split over three floors, the Pavilion is an extremely lightweight timber structure that sits on top of a DLR tunnel with limited allowances for additional weight or foundations. Constructed using cross-laminated and glue-laminated timber panels, only shallow concrete foundations were needed. Timber has a much lower carbon footprint than more traditional materials and provides warmth and tactility to the interior. Elsewhere parametrically controlled timber fins have been used to clad the undersides of the projecting slabs to create a continuous soffit that invites and guides visitors to the roof. Native wildflower planting on the rooftop terrace and green spaces enhances the site’s biodiversity, creating a food source for pollinators alongside a nesting box for bird and bat species.
Energy to the building includes a connection to the Stratford district heating and cooling network and external lighting has been designed to minimise light pollution. The Pavilion has achieved an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM score of 92%. It is the second building at IQL to reach this exceptional standard, which places it in the top 1% of all newly constructed commercial buildings.
The opening of the Pavilion heralds a new era in the development of International Quarter London and the continued transformation of Stratford as a mixed-use destination for London. The Pavilion’s completion will mark a milestone in the way that Endeavour Square is enjoyed by the public and surrounding communities. The site demonstrates Lendlease’s commitment to Mission Zero, the United Nation’s initiative, as a 1.5 degree aligned company, working towards being net zero carbon by 2025, and absolute zero by 2040. Using materials with low embodied carbon is a key step in Lendlease’s journey to eliminate Scope 3 emissions and achieving its 2040 target.
Lendlease’s Project Director for IQL, Kristy Lansdown, said: “The completion of the Pavilion is a real landmark moment for Stratford and recognises Lendlease’s efforts in putting placemaking at the top of our agenda, whilst setting the highest standards of environmental performance in our buildings. This will have a long-lasting impact not just on the surrounding environment, but also on the enjoyment and wellbeing of those who visit the building. With its location overlooking the acres of green space of at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, stand-out architecture and public rooftop terrace with iconic views over London, café, fountains and seating area, it is a place where we hope local people and Londoners will gather to eat, drink and play.”
Peter Hawthorne, CEO of LCR, said: “At the heart of the ongoing evolution of IQL and Stratford is a commitment to creating a vibrant community, with an ecosystem of commercial, residential and leisure space. With its exciting and sustainable design, the Pavilion embodies that commitment to fostering a neighbourhood that can thrive. Ultimately, it’s crucial that similar regeneration projects across the country embrace the same ethos to providing public value and have people at the heart of their plans. This is what it will mean to ‘build back better’.”
Friedrich Ludewig, Founding Director at ACME, said: “We’re thrilled to celebrate the opening of the Pavilion in Stratford, an innovative timber structure anchoring Endeavour Square. Having master-planned Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Bridges 15 years ago with their future legacy in mind, it’s so exciting to contribute to placemaking in this part of London once again. The Pavilion’s sculptural form is inclusive, inviting access and exploration from all sides. The highly sustainable building integrates landscape, is sensitive to the environment and maximizes the use of timber to get us closer to achieving net zero carbon. We’re delighted that the restaurant interior fitout by Afroditi celebrates the building’s timber structure. Stunning views from both inside the restaurant and from the public rooftop terrace remind us of this special location in east London – at the intersection of sport, nature and city. We look forward to the Pavilion’s exterior becoming a meeting place for locals to use regularly, to relax as well as enjoy the views of the emerging and ever-changing landscape.”
Mary Bowman, Landscape Architect/Partner at Gustafson Porter + Bowman said: “It’s wonderful to see the whole of Endeavour Square come together. The water features and artwork are a real attraction especially for young children. The Pavilion amphitheatre and planted rooftop terrace are extensions of the public realm that offer visitors a whole new perspective. Inspired by the site’s history as former railway lands, the new square is already full of school children, families and office workers enjoying the urban transformation.”
Peter Tudor, Director of Park Operations and Venues at the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “We’re delighted that our Visitor Information Point is now part of this fantastic new Pavilion right on the gateway to the Park. As developments like IQL attract more and more people, it’s vital that we have great facilities to help the millions of people who come here each year.”
Project Details
- Location: 9 Endeavour Square, Stratford, London E20 1JN
- Date of Commencement/Completion: 2017-2021
- Size:
- 1,000m2 Restaurants
- 25m2 Visitor Centre
- 80m2 Deli
- 400m2 Plant and Service
- 770m2 Accessible External Terraces
- Total number of section: 136
- Total number of timber fins per section: 14
- Number of control point for each section: 4
- Total number of control points: 544
- Total length of fins: 4.4km
- Total number of fins: 2250
- BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ awarded score: 92.07%
Project Team
- Concept, detail design, construction: ACME
- Structural Engineering: Arup
- MEP, Sustainability: Norman Disney & Young
- Civil Engineering: Buro Happold
- Facade Consultant: Meinhardt
- Access Consultant: Lord Consultants
- Planning Consultant: QUOD
- Cost Consultant: Gardiner & Theobald
- Fire Consultant: The Fire Surgery
- Landscape Architecture: Gustafson Porter + Bowman
- Acoustics: Hoare Lea
- Wind Consultant: FD Global
- Ecology: Green Infrastructure
- WSP: Waste, Security, Traffic
- Public Artwork: Troika
