Mayor unveils plans for £30m Siemens Pavilion to kick-start London’s ‘Green Enterprise District’

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, the chief executive of Siemens, Andreas J. Goss and the Mayor of Newham Borough Council, Sir Robin Wales, today announced a plan for Siemens to invest £30 million in a new landmark building in East London, comprising an exhibition and conference centre. This is set to be built and operational by early 2012 and is the flagship project of a new Green Enterprise District, also announced by the Mayor.

The Mayor revealed that the Green Enterprise District will stretch across East London, exploiting the potential from undeveloped plots of industrial land to attract new investment, create up to 6000 new jobs and develop new low carbon skills. The Green Enterprise District is designed to position London as a global leader of the low carbon economy. The Siemens Pavilion will be built on land owned by the London Development Agency and Newham Borough Council, helping to further regenerate one of the most deprived parts of the capital.

Siemens plans to create an iconic building to be a permanent showcase for sustainable technologies and a destination for the public, customers and students to meet and explore the innovation required to achieve a low carbon society. The centre expects to attract around 100,000 visitors a year. School groups from across London are also expected to use the facility for educational trips. It will be located at the western end of the Royal Docks near to the ExCeL centre and London City airport. When complete, the building will be a base for around 230 Siemens employees as well as providing the potential for around 50 new local jobs directly and in the supply chain.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, used the announcement to underpin a speech at the BASE London conference, outlining a range of measures to secure London’s pre-eminence as a global leader of the low carbon economy. He said: “A century ago, we were cashing in on carbon, yet now there are clear economic opportunities coming from getting rid of it. I want London to be ahead of the queue, grasping a significant share of the jobs and economic booty arising from this new generation of low carbon goods and services.

“It is a clear sign of the confidence in London’s ability to nurture and support eco-enterprises that Siemens has chosen to locate its flagship centre of sustainability here in the UK capital. The Siemens Pavilion is set to sit at the heart of a brand new Green Enterprise District, which will sweep across east of the city. We envisage that the District will be a vibrant, international hub incubating dozens of low carbon businesses to transform what has historically been some of the poorest parts of the capital. ”

Andreas J. Goss, said:

“I am delighted to announce our plans to build the Siemens Pavilion. Our aim is to create an attractive focal point that celebrates London’s ambition and leadership in green technologies and sustainability. Siemens is at the heart of providing sustainable solutions from renewable energy generation, to low-carbon transport and urban infrastructure. I hope the Siemens Pavilion will act as a catalyst for wider community involvement in the debate about how we best address the challenge of climate change in our cities. ”

The Siemens Pavilion will comprise an exhibition, which will be open to the public, a 300-seat auditorium and facilities for educational tour groups. There are plans for interactive exhibits, seating areas, a café and shop as well as outdoor seating areas and exhibits.

Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said:

"Nowhere else in the UK is undergoing transformation on the scale of Newham. London is moving east and there is huge potential here for investment, growth and greater prosperity. I am delighted a huge blue chip organisation such as Siemens plc has recognised this.

“This new visitor attraction will put the Royal Docks on the national and international stage as a place for supporting new technology and innovation. Other high profile businesses with green credentials will never have a better opportunity to invest in the main host borough of the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.”

Siemens has appointed a consortium comprising Pringle Brandon and Wilkinson Eyre Architects to design and build the Siemens Pavilion. The Siemens Pavilion buildings will cover an area of 3,687m2, over three storeys, the total area to be developed is 7,002m2.

The building will itself be a showcase for sustainable design and construction. The design will maximise the use of natural daylight where possible, but will also incorporate high performance glazing, photovoltaic panels, energy efficient lighting and metering. Rainwater harvesting, water efficient appliances, ground source heat pumps and solar water heating will all be integral to the design and the building will be constructed using recycled steel and industrial by-product cement. Sustainable drainage and water efficient landscaping are also part of the plans to create a relaxing waterside environment around the building. The aim is to design and build a facility that reaches the highest possible standards of sustainability.

The Siemens Pavilion is expected to be completed and open to visitors in early 2012.

Delivering the keynote speech to the BASE London conference, the Mayor outlined the business case for London to consolidate its position as a global leader in the low carbon economy. The Green Enterprise District is at the heart of an action plan being developed by the London Development Agency to capture at least London’s fair share of the global market in low carbon goods and services. Early findings from work carried out by the London Development Agency on the potential of the low carbon economy, show that stimulating the low carbon marketplace is a massive opportunity for business, requiring between £40bn to £140bn of investment into London and creating a workforce of more than 200,000 by 2025.