Dome decade: The transformation

As taxpayers stumped up millions to keep the place maintained, if useless, and red-faced government officials put a gloss on a dismal failure, who would have thought the decade's end would see the venue hailed as the world's most popular?

Its fortunes transformed, superstars are lining up to appear there and A-listers of old are coming out of retirement simply to take to the vast arena stage.

The success of The O2 - rebranded, reborn - vindicated the decision taken by AEG Europe to redevelop the Dome into an entertainment complex.

When AEG started the project, after acquiring the site in 2001, the Dome was the laughing stock.

AEG chief executive David Campbell spoke to The Wharf recently about how the company went about its task.

He said: "It was a risk. People were sceptical but one of the things we did was we never - other than with our commercial partners - we never tried to convince people anything was different until we opened the doors.

"In many ways the bad publicity helped us because it was so bad we just let it run. Unless we were complete idiots we couldn't make it any worse. We probably had to make it a bit better but as it happens we've probably made it a whole lot better."

With the world's biggest stars queuing up to play the arena that's certainly true. It's sometimes hard to remember it was once a white elephant on the Greenwich Peninsula, although Mr Campbell was happy to let the occasional punter carry on calling it the Dome.

He said: "It's funny because at the beginning all people called it was the Dome. I don't care if anyone calls it the Dome anymore because so many people call it The O2 you don't even worry about it.

"Four or five years ago when we started this whole thing we did call it an iconic building and now it's something that's become part of the landscape."

This year promises to be equally exciting for music fans with Eric Clapton, Whitney Houston and Julie Andrews lined up.

One other legacy of the Dome is the Jubilee line extension. Work to complete the extension in time for the December 1999 deadline meant old signals were installed as a temporary measure. Ten years on those using the line are still waiting for new signalling.

Meanwhile, development of the site will continue. An application for a hotel and conference centre at The O2 is likely to be submitted to Greenwich council next month.
AEG Europe confirmed it is finalising details for a 450-room hotel and 300,000 sq ft centre to be built next to The O2.

The developement of a hotel has been an ambition of Mr Campbell while the building of a new conference centre will place pressure on Excel.

If approved, the construction will also bring in cash for the Government. Under the terms of the deal signed by developers Meridian Delta Dome Ltd the Treasury will receive £20 for each square foot of land developed on the Greenwich Peninsula, plus a share of the profits.