Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome (now The O2) was conceived to mark the turn of the new millennium and constructed on the Greenwich Peninsula in London.
Within its vast interior sat a series of themed pavilions exploring science, culture and innovation. I was one of three Senior Project Mangers at Imagination responsible for the delivery of two of these zones: the Journey Zone for their client Ford and the Talk Zone for British Telecom.
Each pavilion represented a significant architectural intervention, rising more than six storeys within the Dome’s structure. Their interiors combined museum-grade exhibits, emerging digital technologies and immersive experiential environments – requiring close integration between creative direction, technical systems, live operations and stage management.
Designed as permanent buildings, both zones were conceived and delivered against an absolute, immovable deadline: midnight on 31 December 1999.
The Dome opened with a national celebration attended by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Late Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, marking one of the most symbolically significant public projects of its era.
Journey Zone
The Journey Zone provided Ford with an opportunity to articulate its brand at the turn of the millennium – positioning mobility not simply as transportation, but as human progress.
Developed by Imagination through extensive research and narrative planning, the pavilion became one of the most visited and popular attractions within the Dome.
The visitor experience unfolded across three interconnected structures, linked by elevated bridges, walkways and galleries that physically expressed movement and transition.
Architecturally and experientially, the space explored the evolution of travel – from past innovation to future possibilities – translating brand values into an immersive spatial narrative.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Talk Zone
The Talk Zone, created for British Telecom, explored how communication technologies were reshaping the way people connect – in the present and into the future.
Designed and developed by Imagination’s multidisciplinary creative, content and technical teams, the pavilion examined emerging digital behaviours and offered visitors multiple ways to experience evolving modes of communication.
Architecturally, the zone was housed within two large glass-clad monoliths connected by bridges and elevated walkways. The scale and transparency of the structures demanded innovative construction methods and bespoke glass fabrication processes.
The content – focused on connectivity, interactivity and digital convergence – anticipated communication habits that are now commonplace but were pioneering at the time.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
Photo courtesy of Imagination.
