London, 2012-Jun-21
The Crystal
Siemens’ iconic crystal-shaped development in London’s Royal Docks will launch on September 19th with a spectacular gala event and light projection show, beamed directly onto the building’s eye-catching, glass-fronted exterior. The show is set to celebrate the successful opening of the uniquely sustainable building and flagship regeneration project in London’s Enterprise District.
The following day, (20th September) the Crystal hosts UN Habitat’s Urban Planning Conference - bringing together sustainable city experts in the building’s state-of-the-art conferencing facilities. The Crystal’s three-day launch activities conclude on September 21st with a Digital Life Design conference (DLD) staged throughout the building, exploring innovation, digital media, science and culture.
Pedro Miranda, Corporate Vice President, Head of Corporate Development Siemens One, Siemens AG said: "The Crystal building will be opening this summer in East London and it will represent the Siemens flagship for innovative technologies and sustainable infrastructure for cities. Designed and built to be one of the most energy efficient and sustainable buildings in the world, it will serve as an unique platform for global collaboration amongst the key players in urban sustainability"
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: 'The Crystal is set to be a stunning new addition to London, generating jobs and furthering my ambition to regenerate a once neglected area of the capital. Not only this, but the flagship Siemens sustainability centre shows that this city has the clout to bring in world class businesses to invest in our future, in this case by promoting London's status as a global hub of green innovation, technology and skills.'
Speaking at Base London today, Roland Aurich, CEO Siemens plc and North West Europe said: “The aim of the Crystal is to inspire people and help us collaborate to find solutions for making the world’s cities more sustainable. I am delighted we are now planning the launch events in September and I look forward to welcoming city decision makers from around the world as well as all our visitors to experience this unique new London landmark.”
Designed as an ‘all electric’ building, the Crystal uses solar power, ground source heat pumps and energy-efficient LED lighting, and can operate free of fossil fuels. It is set to achieve some of the world’s most stringent environmental standards for sustainable design and construction.
One of the world’s most sustainable city buildings, the Crystal represents a multi-million pound investment by Siemens. It hosts the world’s largest free public interactive exhibition dedicated to exploring the future of cities, as well as conferencing space, electric vehicle recharging points and a cafe.
ENDS
For more information visit: www.thecrystal.org
Notes to editors:
About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 169 years ago and now employs 12,972 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.4 billion*. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry, infrastructure & cities and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
* Data includes intercompany revenue. Data may not be comparable with revenue reported in annual or interim reports.
For more information contact:
Anne Keogh
Siemens plc
Tel: +44 (0)1276 696312
Mobile: +44 (0)7808 823545
Email: anne.keogh@siemens.com
