(Video) Delivering world-class washroom facilities at Excel London
Project overview
Excel London is one of the world’s leading exhibition and event venues, welcoming millions of visitors each year to major trade shows, conferences, conventions and live events.
As part of a wider programme of improvements across the estate, Focus Washrooms was appointed to refurbish the N1 male and female washroom facilities.
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The project involved much more than upgrading the appearance of the existing spaces. Following a complete strip-out, the washrooms were reconfigured with new cubicle systems, sanitaryware, lighting, ventilation and supporting infrastructure.
The result is a high-capacity washroom environment designed to withstand the demands of a busy international venue while providing the quality of finish expected by Excel London and its visitors.
The brief
Washrooms within a major event venue have to perform under very different conditions to a typical commercial facility.
At peak periods, thousands of visitors can pass through the venue within a short space of time, placing significant demands on capacity, durability, cleaning and maintenance.
The brief was therefore to create facilities that combined a premium visitor experience with the practical requirements of a high-footfall environment.
This meant improving guest flow, introducing durable and easy-to-maintain materials, increasing the use of touchless technology and creating a consistent design built around a bold Charcoal and Light Blue palette.
At the same time, the refurbishment had to be delivered within a live operational venue, requiring careful coordination around Excel London's ongoing programme of exhibitions and events.
A specification designed for high footfall
Across the male and female facilities, high-performance Solid Grade Laminate cubicles and IPS duct panelling were specified in a Charcoal finish.
SGL was selected to provide the level of durability, moisture resistance and ease of maintenance required within a heavily used public environment, while full-height duct systems provide straightforward access to concealed services when maintenance is required.
The dark finishes are contrasted by full-height Light Blue ceramic wall tiling, creating a distinctive but consistent identity across the refurbished facilities.
Large safety-backed mirrors further enhance the spaces, helping distribute light and contribute to the clean, contemporary finish.
Sanitaryware and wash stations
New back-to-wall toilet pans with concealed push-button flushing systems were installed throughout the facilities, keeping services hidden while creating a cleaner and more streamlined appearance.
Bespoke vanity units incorporate integrated solid-surface wash troughs and touchless sensor taps, helping improve hygiene while reducing unnecessary water use.
The continuous surfaces and simplified detailing also help make daily cleaning and maintenance easier for the venue's facilities teams.
Within the male washrooms, a new suite of wall-mounted waterless urinals provide the capacity needed during busy event periods while reducing water consumption.
Flexible operation
One of the less visible but important elements of the refurbishment was designing the facilities around the way Excel London operates.
Shutters were incorporated into the washroom layout, allowing areas of the facilities to be segmented or closed depending on visitor numbers and the requirements of individual events.
This provides the venue team with greater operational flexibility, rather than treating the washrooms as a fixed environment regardless of how the wider venue is being used.
Infrastructure improvements
The refurbishment also involved significant work behind the visible finishes.
Focus Washrooms installed a combination of metal suspended grid ceilings in common areas and plasterboard ceilings above the cubicle runs, alongside new energy-efficient LED lighting.
Electrical infrastructure was upgraded throughout the facilities and PIR-controlled extraction systems were incorporated to help ventilation respond more effectively to occupancy.
Together, these improvements support the long-term operation of the washrooms as well as the quality of the finished environment.
Two vertical digital screens have also been installed outside the washroom entrances, providing visitors with information about the energy and water savings associated with the refurbishment.
Delivering within a live event venue
Working at Excel London required the project to be approached differently from a refurbishment within an empty building.
The venue continues to host major exhibitions and events throughout the year, meaning programme, logistics, access and site activity all had to be coordinated around its wider operations.
Focus Washrooms worked closely with the Excel London team from the early stages of the project, considering how the refurbishment would be delivered as well as what the finished facilities would look like.
Close communication between the teams allowed work to be planned around the venue's event schedule, helping minimise disruption while maintaining progress on site.
Procurement was another important part of that process. Focus Washrooms' close relationship with its supply chain meant potential issues around products, specifications or availability could be addressed quickly, reducing the risk of delays affecting the wider programme.
Part of a wider programme
The N1 refurbishment represents the first completed project within a wider programme of washroom improvements at Excel London.
Rather than approaching each facility in isolation, the partnership provides an opportunity to take lessons from each completed project and apply them to the next.
This includes refining specifications, planning, procurement, logistics and installation methods as the programme progresses.
For a large operational estate, this phased approach helps create greater consistency while allowing future projects to benefit from the experience already gained elsewhere within the venue.
The outcome
The refurbishment has created washrooms better suited to the high visitor numbers experienced at Excel London, while also simplifying cleaning and maintenance for the teams responsible for operating the facilities.
Feedback from the Excel London team has highlighted the quality of the finish and installation, as well as the significant improvement compared with the previous washrooms.
Most importantly, the project establishes a strong foundation for the wider programme ahead, combining the quality of the finished facilities with an approach to delivery designed around the demands of one of the UK's busiest event venues.
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