Sitting proudly astride the ever-vibrant central piazza, the transformed Olympia Building is home to a diverse, cosmopolitan and ever-changing food court. Surrounded by shops and galleries, it is the life and soul of King’s Riverside.
Beneath the spectacular gently curved roofs of the Olympia will be an ever-evolving destination for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A gastronomic marketplace for every taste, a place to relax and enjoy with family, friends or simply a truly great book.
Life is a
combination
of magic and
pasta
Surrounding the bustling tables and the festival for food, and opening out onto the square, a carefully curated selection of independent stores and galleries – an engaging shopping landscape to match the food court at its heart.
An integral part of ‘Deptford’s Lost Dockyard’, Convoys Wharf, the Olympia building was constructed in 1846—7 to cover the historic slips that were rebuilt in stone. It was here that Britain’s 19th Century ships took shape before being launched to sea, the graceful steel archways protecting the intricate engineering work beneath from sunshine and rain. After the final ship was built, the screw corvette HMS Druid, and launched on 13th March 1869, the shipyard was closed, and the site sold for use as London’s Foreign Cattle Market.
It was then that the Olympia building became a network of livestock stalls and a busy trade floor. The waterfront site was used for military storage during World War I, then it suffered bomb damage in the second World War but miraculously, Olympia remained standing. A third transformation occurred later in the 20th century when it became a modern warehouse facility for the newspaper industry. From shipyard to stables to store, the Olympia building has evolved dramatically over the generations and this next chapter promises a revival of which history will be proud.
Launch of the Druid, Deptford Dockyard, c 1869
The New Foreign Cattle Market, Deptford Dockyard
