O2 Shepherd’s Bush Reopens

In an open letter, the venue’s general manager Bill Marshall explained the work that was completed this month. “Contrary to reports, nothing collapsed, nothing fell in, nothing fell down or otherwise! During a routine inspection we discovered that an isolated section of our roof was in need of attention and it was a wise decision taken by our Board back in December 2015 to start work straight away,” he recounted.

He said it was an “intricate” task to properly repair the roof and its supporting structure so it matched architect Frank Matcham’s original design.

This “involved supporting the entire building structure from inside ‘up,’ from recording every load balancing point to preserving the venue’s original early 1900’s architecture and interior balcony facades.”

Additionally, the venue’s PA system was realigned to further optimize the sound in Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The entire interior was cleaned, bar fronts repainted, auditorium floor stripped and stained, and the back of the auditorium floor completely replaced.

The lavatories “have been improved throughout” and the venue’s chilling system was replaced with a new installation that required closing the road to lift it onto the roof by crane.

Marshall thanked all building experts and structural engineers for their advice and work. “There really are too many to mention here,” he wrote.

He also apologized that the “delicate repair works at our Grade II listed building were regrettably delayed, however our ultimate objective and ambition has been achieved; to preserve our venue for the future and reaffirm its position as one of the country’s most historically important live entertainment theatres.”