Flagship conference centre for the European Space Agency

The successful completion of this project enables the ESA to host conferences in the UK within their own dedicated facility, allowing them to bring together the scientific community from far and wide to present, discuss and debate, exploration, knowledge and research to advance comprehension of space and also deepen our understanding of our own planet.

The technical design was developed in close collaboration with the ESA and all key stakeholders to bring their vision to life. It features a 300-person conference hall, meeting rooms, interpreter booths, exhibition spaces and a welcoming café. The conference centre's exhibition spaces are adorned with suspended models, including lifelike replicas of satellites, suspended from the overhead structures.

Adaptability and flexibility for the building was key, with the conference space design allowing it to be divisible into three separate conference rooms, meeting spaces and dining facilities. Three interpreter booths overlook the main hall, enabling multilingual translation for delegates at each conference event.

Amongst the wider sustainability features of the project, the building achieved BREEAM Excellent.