Earl's Court Exhibition Centre

The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is located in West London on the boundary between the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Related Topics:
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - Hammersmith and Fulham

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History

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taken from earls court & olympia website

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Earls Court was largely a waste ground for many years. With the introduction of two stations, it became a mass network of rail on derelict grounds.

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The idea of introducing entertainment to the grounds was brought about by an entrepreneur called John Robinson Whitley who used the land as a show ground for many years. Unfortunately Whitley did not end up making a single penny for his efforts, yet Whitley's desire had decided the future of Earls Court and its purpose in later years.

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In 1935 the land was sold; the new owners decided to construct a show centre to rival any other in the world and to dominate "The Village Hall" up the road (the management's affectionate name for Olympia). The plan was to create Europe's largest structure by volume

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The project did not go exactly to plan; it ran over budget and was late in completion. Earls Court finally opened its door to the public for the chocolate and confectionery exhibition on the 1st of September 1937. The Motor Show and Commercial Vehicle show soon followed. In spite of all the problems in the latter part of construction, the project was still completed in amazing time. At a cost of 1.5 million pounds, it was a marvel of architectural feat, and it still is today.

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In response to the drastic need to increase Earls Court's exhibition space, Earls Court Two was constructed at a cost of £100m. The striking new barrel-roofed hall which links with Earls Court One via folding shutters is large enough to hold four jumbo jets and the hall's 17,000 square metre floor is entirely column-free. The hall was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales on 17 October 1991 for the Motorfair

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Today, Earls Court hosts many shows and exhibitions throughout the year, including the Ideal Home Show and the Brit Awards. Each summer from 1950 to 1999 Earls Court Exhibition Centre was home to the Royal Tournament, the First, Oldest and Biggest Military Tattoo in the World.

Related Topics:
Ideal Home Show - Brit Awards - Royal Tournament

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It is served by two underground stations, Earls Court and West Brompton, opposite its entrances on Warwick Road and the Old Brompton Road.

Related Topics:
Underground - Earls Court - West Brompton

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