85m exhibition centre excels with new name

Pentagram has developed the name and designed an identity for a planned new 85m exhibition centre in London Docklands.

Called ExCeL, the name stands for Exhibition Centre London, emphasising its capital location.

ExCeL chief executive Iain Shearer says: “Our new name is excellent. Everything is being done to the highest standards because we are creating an excellent, and much-needed, modern exhibition centre for London and for the whole of the UK.”

Pentagram partner John McConnell says: “We knew that what we were looking for was a name that was short, memorable and easily understood right the way across Europe.”

The identity is a red, blue, white and black logotype. Says McConnell: “We wanted to reflect the crispness and clarity of the name. Further applications of the new logo are being developed and in due course the signage system throughout ExCeL will be developed in the same style.”

The architects and planners for the project are Moxley Jenner & Partners and Moxley & Frankl. Arup Associates is the architectural design consultant. A detailed planning application will be made this summer, and the centre is scheduled to open in spring 1998.

The centre will provide around 50 000m2 of exhibition space. Parking for 5500 cars is being touted as an advantage over existing west London exhibition venues.

m The London Docklands Development Corporation has selected landscape design consultancy Patel and Taylor with the Paris-based Group Signes to design a new 9ha park alongside the Thames Barrier.