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London is in a constant state of development. Whether its our travel network, shiny new skyscrapers, our housing or our cultural hubs, every year billions and billions of pounds are spent on making our city even better for visitors and residents.
In 2025 we’ll see some major projects, some of which have been going on for a decade, finally finished and unveiled to the public. These are some of the biggest London developments that’ll reach completion this year (if everything goes according to plan).
Silvertown Tunnel, Newham
Silvertown Tunnel is London’s first tunnel under the Thames in 30 years and is set to officially open this summer. It’s been ruffling feathers ever since its initial consultation in 2014, with several politicians and campaigners worried about it increasing pollution. But TfL says it will reduce pollution and ease congestion. We’ll soon see how it all turns out, as it officially opens in April.
You can find the toll fees for the Silvertown tunnel here.
V&A East Storehouse
The V&A’s newest outpost will open its doors at the former London 2012 Olympics Media Centre in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford on May 31. Exhibits sprawled across four levels will include vintage football shirts, the Glastonbury Festival archive, Schiaparelli haute couture, Elton John’s costumes, samurai swords and the David Bowie Centre.
International Way
Not far from the new V&A, new development International Way is on track for completion this year too. It’ll bring 380 new homes to Stratford (including 133 ‘affordable housing options’) as well as fresh office space and retail outlets.
Ikea Oxford Street
We’ve been teased with Ikea Oxford Street for the best part of a decade. After push backs in 2023 and 2024, the huge yellow and blue store is now slated for launch this spring. There’s reportedly huge work going on inside the building. The finished product will span six floors with retail space, offices, a market hall and, of course, a Swedish deli.
Olympia
The results of Olympia’s enormous £1.3 billion makeover will finally be unveiled this year. And it looks set to become a buzzing cultural hub. The new and improved Olympia centre will include two hotels, a swanky new theatre, a 4,000 capacity music arena and over 30 places to wine and dine.
Thames Tideway
Thames Tideway, aka London’s new super sewer, actually completed construction and partly opened in 2024. It’s hoped that this’ll be the development to ‘save the Thames’ from all that manky sewage and expected to be fully operational this year. With it, the city will get seven new ‘mini-parks’ along the river.
Google King’s Cross
Google’s new HQ at King’s Cross, officially opening later this year, will be hard to miss. Stretching 330 metres, the ‘groundscraper’ or ‘landscraper’ is longer than the Shard is tall. It’ll apparently include a 25-metre swimming pool, nap pods, a rooftop running track, a sports centre and shops on the ground floor for non-Googlers.
M&S Marble Arch
At the end of 2024, after three years of back and forth, Marks & Spencer was finally given the green light to knock down its 1920s flagship store in Marble Arch. So this year all three buildings that it currently occupies will be demolished and replaced with a 10-storey mixed-used development. Besides a new, smaller store, the space will include a pedestrianised area with tree-lined public spaces, offices, a cafe and a gym.
London’s best cultural highlights to look forward to in 2025, according to Time Out’s experts.
All the upgrades and new services coming to London’s transport network in 2025.
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