Pillar Hall Reopens Alongside a Billion Pound Rethink of London’s Future, Inspired by The Past

There are openings, and then there are restorations of intent. With Pillar Hall, Des Gunewardena is reactivating a space that was always meant to hold energy. Set inside one of Olympia’s most historic buildings, the 30,000 sq ft destination arrives as a layered ecosystem of fine dining and hospitality. Under one roof sits Idalia, an all-day dining space; Pepperbird, a basement speakeasy; and Upstairs at Pillar Hall, a live music and events venue, three distinct environments designed to move with the rhythm of a day that stretches deep into night.

The building itself carries weight. Originally opened in 1886 and designed by Henry Edward Coe, the mind behind Olympia’s Grand Hall. Pillar Hall was conceived as a flexible cultural arena, hosting everything from concerts to public gatherings. That original purpose hasn’t been erased, but reinterpreted. With Robert Angell Design International at the helm, the space has been reshaped into something contemporary without losing its sense of history. The restoration keeping the architecture intact while allowing new layers of design, sound, and movement to sit within it.

The Idalia isa space built on atmosphere as much as food. Named after an alternative identity of Aphrodite, the concept draws on ideas of beauty, romance, and mythology, while subtly nodding to the Victorian era in which the building was born. The design leans into this duality of warm tones, and textured materials that feels fluid and unhurried. It’s a place designed for duration, dinner without disruption, and the space shifts with the people inside it.

Marble pillars and antique mirrors sit against contemporary finishes allow the room to plays with contrast. A glowing central bar, crafted in polished nickel anchors the space. Details reveal themselves slowly: abstract wallpaper referencing musicians, a discreet private dining corner, the flicker of a working fireplace. Nothing feels forced. Instead, the design allows the building’s scale to breathe, adding intimacy without diminishing its grandeur.

Music, however, is what ties it all together. Pillar Hall treats sound as foundational. Drawing from Olympia’s legacy as a stage for artists like Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and Thin Lizzy, the programme leans into live performance as a core identity. From 1970s jazz influences to contemporary sets, the venue reconnects with its past while opening itself to new cultural moments.

Opening 140 years after its original debut, Pillar Hall arrives alongside Olympia’s £1.3 billion redevelopment, an ambitious transformation positioning the area as a global hub for culture, entertainment, and innovation. New hotels, venues, and public spaces are set to reshape the district, and Pillar Hall sits at the centre of that shift, acting as both anchor and catalyst.

Between dining and music, history and modernity, intimacy and scale. In a city that constantly reinvents itself, Pillar Hall reminds London that the most powerful spaces are the ones that evolve without forgetting why they existed in the first place.