‘Industrial feel’ for O2 music venue

The first details of the direction design will take at The O2’s forthcoming club venue Matter have emerged, Design Week can reveal. The Pentagram-designed, 2000-capacity music venue, which is being built within the O2 Arena on London’s Greenwich Peninsula, is set to be unveiled on 18 September.

Club owner Cameron Leslie, who is leasing the space from Anschutz Entertainment Group with partner Keith Reilly, reveals what it will look like.

‘Although there wasn’t a design brief, we alluded to a temple of concrete, which [Pentagram] interpreted perfectly. It’s got quite an industrial feel,’ says Leslie.

The venue will also feature a custom-built body-kinetic dance floor, according to a Pentagram spokesman. ‘Most Technical has designed the sound and lighting and is working alongside partner company Djenerate to develop the dance floor,’ he says.

The venue will also feature a digital element designed by UK audio-visual production company The Pixel Addicts. It designed the hardware with bespoke elements for a residency by audio-visual VJ partners Inside Us All.

Leslie reveals that he and Reilly invited Pentagram to pitch for the six-figure project to create the structure and interior, as well as devise a logo and signage for the venue, in June last year.

Graphic designer Juan Cortes is creating supporting promotional material including flyers, posters and monthly advertising campaigns for the venue, according to Leslie.