Siemens, the international engineering and technology firm, is to build a £30m visitor attraction in London.
The Siemens Pavilion will include exhibition space, a 300-seat auditorium and facilities for educational tour groups. There are plans for interactive exhibits, seating areas, a café and a shop, as well as outdoor seating areas and exhibition space.
The centre, which will be located at the western end of the Royal Docks, is expected to attract around 100,000 visitors a year. School groups from across London are also expected to use the facility for educational trips.
Andreas J. Goss, chief executive of Siemens UK, said: "Our aim is to create an attractive focal point that celebrates London's ambition and leadership in green technologies and sustainability.
"Siemens is at the heart of providing sustainable solutions from renewable energy generation, to low-carbon transport and urban infrastructure. I hope the Siemens Pavilion will act as a catalyst for wider community involvement in the debate about how we best address the challenge of climate change in our cities."
Locum Consulting advised Siemens on the visitor forecast and business plan for the Pavilion and worked with the design team to determine the optimal size of the exhibition and visitor facilities.
Locum Director, Dan Anderson, said: "To their credit, Siemens have lighted on a fresh and inventive approach to making people of all ages aware of new technologies in sustainable development.
"It will act as a global showcase for these technologies in the widest sense and at a more local level connect with the community by encouraging school visits. I am also convinced that it will be a major catalyst for further regeneration of the Royal Docks, which is strategically important for the whole city."
Siemens has appointed a consortium comprising Pringle Brandon and Wilkinson Eyre Architects to design and build the attraction. The three-storey Siemens Pavilion buildings will cover an area of 3,690sq m (39,720sq ft) and the total area to be developed is 7,000sq m (75,350sq ft). Locum Consulting is also involved with the scheme.
The Siemens Pavilion is expected to be completed and open to visitors in early 2012.
