Is that picture that BV put on the London show review an arena? What on earth is that thing? A half dome with big yellow ladders and rods sticking out of the top of the dome? I have never seen such a ugly structure in my life.

Tell me its a spaceship of some kind waiting to go out and make some crop circles or something.

YOu never heard of the Millenium Dome? The 02 Arena is the same building with the outside looking roughly the same as it did back in 1999, so we've been seieng this building for years.

It is a spaceship!

It is a great monument to the great British nation in the third millennium. As Tony Blair said it is a "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity". The original exhibition was closed 0.1% into the new millennium and now it houses the Stones, which seems much more appropriate.

Although I do actually like how it looks I don't care, all I know is that I no longer have to schlep across to west and north west London and can be home in an hour, it is fantastic

haha TylerDurden, you've brightened up my working day with that Tony Blair quote! sometimes i cant believe the utter shite that came out of that mans mouth!

it's an awesome building for sure and now finally, its being put to good use

It was to be seen in one of the recent 007 James Bond films. 007 fell on the roof of it from a helicopter, I think.

I am glad that someone found a use for it.

Now if they will just turn their attention to the Scottish parliament building all will be well.

Halup Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> YOu never heard of the Millenium Dome? The 02
> Arena is the same building with the outside
> looking roughly the same as it did back in 1999,
> so we've been seieng this building for years.

I'm happy to say I have never seen it before. As a lover of architecture, especially the many fine examples of European masterpieces, looking at this abombination I can't believe someone actually commissioned this horror to be built. I have never seen such an uglier exterior on anything public.

A portable bathroom has more character than that mess. Sorry but its appalling and IMHO an embarrassment to a historic nation of England.

its pretty nasty...there are some great modern building in london (ie: that ovalish aprocot glass one..theres nothing to this one..looks like a deflated balloon that's been stabbed by to many spears..

It's rude, hellish appearance is obviously an artistic statement about.......

Duane in Houston Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's rude, hellish appearance is obviously an
> artistic statement about.......

Hey Duane, your an architect I believe? I've seen lots of arenas and none come close to this, that I am aware of. I just can't believe that a locality would commission a firm that designed that mess for final drawings.

The Sicilian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Halup Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > YOu never heard of the Millenium Dome? The 02
> > Arena is the same building with the outside
> > looking roughly the same as it did back in
> 1999,
> > so we've been seieng this building for years.
>
> I'm happy to say I have never seen it before. As
> a lover of architecture, especially the many fine
> examples of European masterpieces, looking at this
> abombination I can't believe someone actually
> commissioned this horror to be built. I have
> never seen such an uglier exterior on anything
> public.
>
> A portable bathroom has more character than that
> mess. Sorry but its appalling and IMHO an
> embarrassment to a historic nation of England.

It's ANOTHER of Blair's follies, and god knows there were a lot of them. I agree, it is absolutely hideous, and to be quite honest it was a national embarrassment all throughout its construction stage and even its period of operation as an "attraction" - which was pretty short-lived at the end of the day. Barely a handful of years later it was sold and now functions as what it is today. Architecturally it is a piece of absolute s**t. I don't think the British nation has ever taken it remotely seriously, and to be quite honest most people just got sick and tired hearing about the latest "crisis" associated with it as 31st December 1999 approached. All in all ... it's a joke and it's f***ing ugly.

You can also see it on a recent bond movie.its used for the traditional spectacular opening scene. The one where brosnan chases the baddies down the thames and ends up on the roof of the o2, then the milenium dome.
looking at it now maybe he was just late for the gig.

The World Is not Enough

casinoboogie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> haha TylerDurden, you've brightened up my working
> day with that Tony Blair quote! sometimes i cant
> believe the utter shite that came out of that mans
> mouth!
>
> it's an awesome building for sure and now finally,
> its being put to good use

<<< "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity" >>>

<<< sometimes i cant believe the utter shite that came out of that mans
> mouth >>>

I Quite agree with the above. And as for " a triumph of etc etc". Er ... no Mr Blair. It's NONE of the above, it's ACTUALLY a seriously ugly piece of c**p, and well you bloody knew it - if only you'd have had the gall to tell it like it was and had stopped addressing the nation as if we were a bunch of retards !!

and to think at the time, the government loved the idea of the dome - but questioned the need for a new Wembley stadium..

id rather the money have gone to cancer research or something like....it was a hideous amount that was wasted....

if this had happened, the stones would be playing at thier true home this week - Wembley Stadium.


IMHO

Dog

paulywaul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Sicilian Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Halup Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > YOu never heard of the Millenium Dome? The 02
> > > Arena is the same building with the outside
> > > looking roughly the same as it did back in
> > 1999,
> > > so we've been seieng this building for years.
> >
> > I'm happy to say I have never seen it before.
> As
> > a lover of architecture, especially the many
> fine
> > examples of European masterpieces, looking at
> this
> > abombination I can't believe someone actually
> > commissioned this horror to be built. I have
> > never seen such an uglier exterior on anything
> > public.
> >
> > A portable bathroom has more character than
> that
> > mess. Sorry but its appalling and IMHO an
> > embarrassment to a historic nation of England.
>
> It's ANOTHER of Blair's follies, and god knows
> there were a lot of them. I agree, it is
> absolutely hideous, and to be quite honest it was
> a national embarrassment all throughout its
> construction stage and even its period of
> operation as an "attraction" - which was pretty
> short-lived at the end of the day. Barely a
> handful of years later it was sold and now
> functions as what it is today. Architecturally it
> is a piece of absolute s**t. I don't think the
> British nation has ever taken it remotely
> seriously, and to be quite honest most people just
> got sick and tired hearing about the latest
> "crisis" associated with it as 31st December 1999
> approached. All in all ... it's a joke and it's
> f***ing ugly.


It wasn't actually Blair's folly. Plans for the Doom were already well under way when he took office in 1997. John Major's government initiated the idea as a throwback to the Dome of Discovery built on the South Bank in 1951 for the Festival of Britain.

What happened under Blair was that the original plan, for a more modest building, was, ur, expanded.

The Doom as it stands today is a wretched round thing which, from the outside, looks like a crashed UFO from a rubbish 1960s low budget sci fi flick, while the inside is a perfect circle of hell.

i wonder if you chucked bread on its roof - if you could hear the birds "annoyingly pattering around" - whilst trying to listen to the show....

Dog

Its relieving to see that most concur, more so to anyone who actually saw the thing in person, your perspective is even more enlightning.

Nikolai Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> paulywaul Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The Sicilian Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Halup Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > YOu never heard of the Millenium Dome? The
> 02
> > > > Arena is the same building with the outside
> > > > looking roughly the same as it did back in
> > > 1999,
> > > > so we've been seieng this building for
> years.
> > >
> > > I'm happy to say I have never seen it before.
>
> > As
> > > a lover of architecture, especially the many
> > fine
> > > examples of European masterpieces, looking at
> > this
> > > abombination I can't believe someone actually
> > > commissioned this horror to be built. I have
> > > never seen such an uglier exterior on
> anything
> > > public.
> > >
> > > A portable bathroom has more character than
> > that
> > > mess. Sorry but its appalling and IMHO an
> > > embarrassment to a historic nation of
> England.
> >
> > It's ANOTHER of Blair's follies, and god knows
> > there were a lot of them. I agree, it is
> > absolutely hideous, and to be quite honest it
> was
> > a national embarrassment all throughout its
> > construction stage and even its period of
> > operation as an "attraction" - which was pretty
> > short-lived at the end of the day. Barely a
> > handful of years later it was sold and now
> > functions as what it is today. Architecturally
> it
> > is a piece of absolute s**t. I don't think the
> > British nation has ever taken it remotely
> > seriously, and to be quite honest most people
> just
> > got sick and tired hearing about the latest
> > "crisis" associated with it as 31st December
> 1999
> > approached. All in all ... it's a joke and it's
> > f***ing ugly.
>
>
> It wasn't actually Blair's folly. Plans for the
> Doom were already well under way when he took
> office in 1997. John Major's government initiated
> the idea as a throwback to the Dome of Discovery
> built on the South Bank in 1951 for the Festival
> of Britain.
>
> What happened under Blair was that the original
> plan, for a more modest building, was, ur,
> expanded.
>
> The Doom as it stands today is a wretched round
> thing which, from the outside, looks like a
> crashed UFO from a rubbish 1960s low budget sci fi
> flick, while the inside is a perfect circle of
> hell.

You're absolutely correct, it was indeed something he "inherited" so to say. But really ... to then (as you say) "expand" on the original theme and ultimately try and sell it to us - the nation - as "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity" ................ well it's just one MORE reason why I've ended up thinking that at some point or other Blair took complete and utter leave of his senses.

Blair loved to speak in "soundbytes" didnt he? as long as the national papers had a nice neat quote that fitted perfectly as a headline he was happy - Re: Diana, Iraq etc etc

Its nice to see that now he has left office, he is being quickly forgotten. and rightfully so

casinoboogie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Blair loved to speak in "soundbytes" didnt he? as
> long as the national papers had a nice neat quote
> that fitted perfectly as a headline he was happy -
> Re: Diana, Iraq etc etc
>
> Its nice to see that now he has left office, he is
> being quickly forgotten. and rightfully so

<<< Its nice to see that now he has left office, he is being quickly forgotten. and rightfully so >>>

it's better than nice ... it's BLISS !!

wish he'd take Brown and the rest of them, with him.

......that would be prudent!

paulywaul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nikolai Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > paulywaul Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The Sicilian Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Halup Wrote:
> > > >
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > >
> > > > -----
> > > > > YOu never heard of the Millenium Dome?
> The
> > 02
> > > > > Arena is the same building with the
> outside
> > > > > looking roughly the same as it did back
> in
> > > > 1999,
> > > > > so we've been seieng this building for
> > years.
> > > >
> > > > I'm happy to say I have never seen it
> before.
> >
> > > As
> > > > a lover of architecture, especially the
> many
> > > fine
> > > > examples of European masterpieces, looking
> at
> > > this
> > > > abombination I can't believe someone
> actually
> > > > commissioned this horror to be built. I
> have
> > > > never seen such an uglier exterior on
> > anything
> > > > public.
> > > >
> > > > A portable bathroom has more character than
> > > that
> > > > mess. Sorry but its appalling and IMHO an
> > > > embarrassment to a historic nation of
> > England.
> > >
> > > It's ANOTHER of Blair's follies, and god
> knows
> > > there were a lot of them. I agree, it is
> > > absolutely hideous, and to be quite honest it
> > was
> > > a national embarrassment all throughout its
> > > construction stage and even its period of
> > > operation as an "attraction" - which was
> pretty
> > > short-lived at the end of the day. Barely a
> > > handful of years later it was sold and now
> > > functions as what it is today.
> Architecturally
> > it
> > > is a piece of absolute s**t. I don't think
> the
> > > British nation has ever taken it remotely
> > > seriously, and to be quite honest most people
> > just
> > > got sick and tired hearing about the latest
> > > "crisis" associated with it as 31st December
> > 1999
> > > approached. All in all ... it's a joke and
> it's
> > > f***ing ugly.
> >
> >
> > It wasn't actually Blair's folly. Plans for
> the
> > Doom were already well under way when he took
> > office in 1997. John Major's government
> initiated
> > the idea as a throwback to the Dome of
> Discovery
> > built on the South Bank in 1951 for the
> Festival
> > of Britain.
> >
> > What happened under Blair was that the original
> > plan, for a more modest building, was, ur,
> > expanded.
> >
> > The Doom as it stands today is a wretched round
> > thing which, from the outside, looks like a
> > crashed UFO from a rubbish 1960s low budget sci
> fi
> > flick, while the inside is a perfect circle of
> > hell.
>
> You're absolutely correct, it was indeed something
> he "inherited" so to say. But really ... to then
> (as you say) "expand" on the original theme and
> ultimately try and sell it to us - the nation - as
> "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness
> over blandness, excellence over mediocrity"
> ................ well it's just one MORE reason
> why I've ended up thinking that at some point or
> other Blair took complete and utter leave of his
> senses.

Don't forget that Blair was a lawyer by training. Which means that he was brilliant at feigning sincerity. Lawyers are basically actors with brains.

and politics is a nothing, but a cesspool of lying lawyers

Well i like it!

I read the 02 is actually a warehouse.
they're gonna nick the Eiffel tower someday and store it there, laying flat.
also some 3.8 billion pints of beer will be kept stored.
they have plans, man - secret plans^^

[www.theo2.co.uk]

-------------------------------------------------------

> Don't forget that Blair was a lawyer by training.
> Which means that he was brilliant at feigning
> sincerity. Lawyers are basically actors with
> brains.

Hey! I like that. Nobody has ever told me that I've got brains! Guess what my profession is.

It's not too too bad to see in person. Nice place to drive by FAST, though.