Turner Prize-winning architects Assemble are to headline Ecobuild 2017 bringing their award winning Granby project to the show as part of an immersive new experience.
During an exclusive launch event, held on Wednesday evening, an entirely new and exciting city-based floor plan format was also revealed for the show.
Bringing the event’s theme of regeneration to life, Ecobuild 2017 will see ExCeL London transformed into an immersive ‘city’ – complete with main street, distinct destinations and special feature attractions. Central to the experience will be Regeneration Drive, a boulevard running through the middle of Ecobuild, linking different aspects of the exhibition and enabling visitors to experience the very best examples of innovation and creativity from across the built environment.
Martin Hurn, Brand Director at Ecobuild, explained: “For 2017, we’re completely overhauling and innovating the Ecobuild experience. We asked our visitors what they want and need from the show, and sustainability overwhelmingly came to the top of the agenda. To deliver this, we’ve ripped up the floorplan and reinvented Ecobuild as an immersive city centred around Regeneration Drive.
“Imagining the exhibition as a city allows us to deliver a unique programme focused on regeneration, in a way that is relevant and inclusive to all our exhibitors and visitors. Different aspects of construction and the built environment deserve specific focus, and each of the Ecobuild 2017’s destinations will each have something distinct and exciting to offer.”
Ecobuild also announced key collaborations with Lead Partner UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC), the Construction Products Association, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).
As they make their way up Regeneration Drive, attendees will be introduced to key destinations such as The Arena, City Hall, The Campus, The Gateway and The Performance Lab.
The Arena will be home to the headline guest speakers, staging a range of keynote speeches from industry thought leaders and innovators across the three days. Included within the programme will be world-renowned architects and MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Construction. The UK-GBC will also be hosting daily leadership panels chaired by their CEO, Julie Hirigoyen.
The show’s sustainability hub, City Hall, will be home to the UK-GBC and World Green Building Council. Featuring two seminar theatres, this arena represents the culmination of Ecobuild’s Redefining Sustainability campaign – which seeks to create an industry-wide understanding of sustainability objectives and drives, and a clear direction for the future.
Architectural collective Assemble will present the London debut of its award-winning Granby Workshop project at the Campus, the show’s destination for innovative thinking and the latest technology. Visitors will be able to view and interact with a unique installation created by Assemble, telling the story behind the collective’s Turner Prize winning regeneration project. Attendees will be also able to interact with Future Materials, a gallery curated by ARCC, previewing next-generation materials and processes currently in either research or testing stage.
The Gateway will allow visitors to explore national and social infrastructure projects in partnership with ICE. The Performance Lab, meanwhile, will showcase the latest in Smart Home and Smart Building technology in association with Ecobuild 2017’s building performance partner, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.
The city will also contain a number of other areas of interest, including The BRE Academy, The Business District, international pavilions and a dedicated District Energy Town Square created in conjunction with the UK District Energy Association. The organisers are encouraging exhibitors to get involved with the immersive city theme, inviting them to create their own destinations along Regeneration Drive and across the entire event.
Hurn added: “The 2017 show is shaping up to be the most impactful and exciting in recent years. There’s a real appetite within the industry to redefine and create a universal vision for what sustainability will mean in years to come, and we have revamped Ecobuild to ensure it is the perfect platform to lead this discussion.
“With the support of our partners, we’re shining a spotlight on the best examples of innovation and creativity in the industry with demonstrations of new products, smart technologies and ground-breaking materials. We’re also particularly excited about the presence of an impressive collection of international exhibitors, and hearing about best practice sustainability from around the world.”
