News on Earls Court Masterplan

Architects appointed to accelerate delivery of the first phase of Earls Court masterplan

Following a series of design competitions over the summer, The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) has today, 28 November 2022, announced the appointment of three teams of architects to deliver innovative, engaging and sustainable architecture for the first phase at the former Earls Court Exhibition Centres site.

This early phase will include up to 1,300 mixed tenure homes including affordable homes which will be delivered alongside a mix of cultural spaces and offices that will provide opportunities for hundreds of jobs. Construction for this first phase is set to commence in 2025.

A total of 15 architectural practices were selected to submit ideas and concepts that deliver on ECDC’s four priorities that underpin the vision ‘to bring the wonder back to Earls Court’, which are:

Open up the former Exhibition Centre site for the first time in 150 years; Giving back to local communities

Provide a showground of world-class ingenuity; Celebrating its legacy and history

Create a better piece of city; A blueprint for future generations

Address the climate emergency; An ambition to go beyond net-zero

Extensive engagement to date has illustrated the importance of creating a place truly welcoming and accessible for all, leading to a commitment to introduce a people-led and nature-based place. Responding to this ECDC has appointed globally renowned Danish practice SLA as the landscape architect across the whole development site.

The newly appointed architect and landscape architect teams will work alongside masterplanners Hawkins Brown and Studio Egret West to develop detailed designs for the first phase of the emerging masterplan. Ongoing consultation since 2019 has led up to the development of the draft masterplan, with the next phase of consultation starting in the new year, targeting submission of planning applications to both LBHF and RBKC in Q4 2023.

The successful architectural firms for the first phase are:

Sheppard Robson with Serie Architects and dRMM, will deliver the first phase within Hammersmith & Fulham, creating a strong relationship with the neighbouring West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estates and the Empress State building

ACME will be responsible for a signature office building at the key entrance to the site on Warwick Road in Kensington & Chelsea. It will re-create a sense of arrival from Earl’s Court Station

Haworth Tompkins and Maccreanor Lavington will collaborate to bring forward the first homes within Kensington & Chelsea, with a significant cultural offer, located in the heart of the site.

Rob Heasman, CEO of The Earls Court Development Companycommented on the appointments:

“We have welcomed all of the submissions and are pleased to announce these exceptional designers who will add to our professional team. This is the team who will bring the detailed design, the texture and the colour to the first phase of the reimagined Earls Court. Working with them, we intend to build on everything that is wonderful about the area today and create a new part of our great city. Accelerating the detailed design of this significant tranche of the masterplan will help bring forward a vast array of benefits including new homes, employment opportunities, cultural attractions and beautiful open spaces for all to enjoy."

Posted on 29th November 2022

by Earls Court Development Company