Remember the Millennium Dome?
The genesis of the project was with John Major’s government, but it came into the public eye around 16 years ago as Tony Blair’s government began gearing up for the Millennium celebrations. If you recall, the general opinion, particularly amongst media types and those who call themselves critics and social commentators (exactly how do you become qualified to be a social commentator), was that the whole thing was a disaster. The budget was going to be exceeded; it was going to be a monumental failure and, after the fireworks had calmed down and the champagne was in the skip, it would be an empty and sad reminder of man’s vanity.
It turned out that the only people talking bol….. rubbish were the so called social commentators. I went to the Dome a couple of times when it was the exhibition that lasted for a year. I was bowled over by the structure then, and when I returned for the Elvis exhibition, last weekend, nothing had changed. It is a spectacular, inspirational and iconic building. Of course it is instantly recognisable and the structure, designed by Buro Happold, is exposed and elegant.
It is the centre piece of what is now called the Greenwich Peninsular, formerly a site for all sorts of factories and industrial units that had spent decades pouring waste into the ground. At the time of the proposals, it was a wasteland and eyesore, immediately on the left as you exit the Blackwall Tunnel. The only thing anyone wanted to do as one exited the tunnel was to get out of there as soon as possible.
Now it is the home of an arena and exhibition space, with internal streets replete with restaurants and bars. Immediately outside are more bars and restaurants, a college, office blocks and a large public open space. You can now walk over the dome and/or take a ride on the Emirate Air Line over the Thames. You can get there easily from Waterloo or London Bridge using the other engineering marvel of the time, the Jubilee Line Extension.
It is such a vibrant and entertaining place that, if it were in Paris, New York or Barcelona, we would complain that we had nothing like it in the UK. Actually, we had the idea in the UK. It was designed and constructed by UK companies. It is a real life demonstration of what British technology and design can achieve with the right attitude.
Perhaps the social commentators should get some.