Architects: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Area: 80,000 m²
Year: 1999
Photography: James Jin, Martin Petitt, Crish Dixon, Peter Benton
Lead Architects: Richard Rogers
Collaborators: Buro Happold Engineers
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
The Millennium Dome, designed by Roger Stirk Harbour + Partners, was constructed in Greenwich, London, to host the Millennium Experience in 2000. Spanning 80,000 m², its innovative dome structure consists of twelve steel masts and PTFE fabric, conveying optimism for the future. Despite challenges with the site and construction deadlines, the Dome was completed in two years. Its flexible design, symbolic time references, and sustainability features have allowed it to be repurposed for various uses after 2000. The Dome, now known as The O2, remains a significant cultural and architectural icon.
In 1994, as the new millennium neared, the British government announced plans for a national festival in 2000, known as the Millennium Experience. Under the direction of Mike Davies, a partner in Richard Rogers’ practice (now RSHP), the Millennium Dome was designed to host the festival’s exhibitions celebrating Britain’s identity, achievements, and location.
The dome’s vast structure, with a canopy covering 2.2 million cubic meters, was completed in just two years, from concept to topping out. Despite the festival’s end in 2000, the building has been repurposed over time, due to Rogers’ flexible design.
Located on Greenwich’s peninsula, London, the Millennium Dome was part of a larger masterplan. The 300-acre site, previously used for toxic waste disposal by British Gas, required costly decontamination. Additionally, a ventilation shaft for the Blackwall Tunnel and poor transport links posed challenges. Fortunately, the extension of the Jubilee line in 1999 improved access.
A dome was chosen to efficiently meet the tight construction deadline, with the Greenwich site selected relatively late in the planning pavilions, saving time and cost. The circular site inspired the dome’s shape, with the River Thames providing a natural 270-degree curve.
The dome’s structure consists of twelve 100-meter-tall steel masts, supporting cables covered by PTFE fabric, just 1mm thick. The Dome has a circumference of 1 kilometer, a peak height of 50 meters, and spans 80,000 m². The architecture conveyed a sense of optimism for the new millennium, with Davies noting that the masts symbolized raised arms of celebration.
The dome continued the tradition of national festivals like the 1851 Great Exhibition and the 1951 Festival of Britain, drawing architectural references from iconic structures such as the Skylon and Dome of Discovery. The design blended futuristic materials with historical nods.
Although technically not a dome—its load is carried by masts, not its circumference—the white Teflon-coated fabric created a striking, futuristic appearance. As Elizabeth Wilhide remarked, the structure balanced opposing qualities: soft and hard, rounded and sharp.
The design also included symbolic references to time, such as twelve masts representing the months of the year, 24 scallops for the hours of the day, and a diameter of 365 meters, corresponding to the days in a year.
Sustainability was a significant consideration in the Dome’s design. Rainwater was collected, naturally filtered, and reused as greywater. The translucent fabric reduced the need for artificial lighting, and the building was ventilated naturally. Renewable energy, sourced from waste, sewage, and wind, powered the structure.
The project required close collaboration between RSHP and engineers Buro Happold. The partnership was essential to the Dome’s complex engineering, with structural elements such as the masts color-coded in Rogers’ signature ‘inside-out’ approach. The collaboration led to a structure where architecture and engineering worked in tandem, with flexibility in both its external and internal systems.
The dome’s single expansive structure allowed for future adaptability, a feature evident in its subsequent uses after the Millennium Experience ended. The structure was transformed into an entertainment venue and became The O2 after redevelopment in 2007, hosting concerts, sporting events, and the 2012 Olympics.
Despite negative press about the Millennium Experience’s cost and low visitors turnout, the architectural project was under-budget. Richard Rogers highlighted that the costs attributed to the Dome often included the exhibition content.
The Dome’s lasting success lies in its innovative architecture, which continues to be a landmark of modern design, celebrating a new era. Prime Minister Tony Blair praised the Dome for symbolizing the nation’s renewed dynamism.
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Address: London SE10 0BB, United Kingdom
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