Showcasing Sustainable Cities

The Crystal is Siemens' landmark attraction in east London. Blending social development with the science of sustainability, it puts technology at the frontier of change and shows how it can solve some of the biggest challenges facing our society today.

The building itself is a futuristic cathedral where technology meets sustainability. Designed by architects WilkinsonEyre, it is Europe’s first BREEAM Outstanding and LEED Platinum building. Our role was to transform the interior space and develop the visitor attraction. In just 18 months, we went from brownfield site to finished experience.

All around you, the building is alive with energy and feels full of possibility. You flow through eight, highly charged zones, each visualising our future in different ways. Start by learning about the global megatrends shaping our world – climate change, shifting demographics, hyper urbanisation – then see the solution to each, from water to solar energy.

Each zone has a key attraction inspired by its theme. A real waterfall thunders down from the mezzanine, a tesla coil fires up next to you, plants and vegetables grow up walls all around you. The experience evolves around the City Icon – a giant eight meter high LED tower that generates animations and reveals layers of global cities.

A spectrum of techniques ignite inspiration and create an eclectic experience. From art installations to 360, audio-visual shows, one moment you’re walking around an abstracted globe, the next you’re engulfed in an immersive multimedia show that runs beneath your feet and over your head.

The exhibition is a showcase of the very best technology. Live data feeds shoot around the walls and visualise the building’s solar panel energy production. Recycled rainwater from the roof feeds into the water installations. An RFID ticket logs your journey through the space and culminates in the Future Life exhibit where you download your data onto an interactive table and see a 3D cityscape emerge through your interaction.