Lend Lease appoints contractor to build Bluewater Events Venue in Kent

Lend Lease has appointed Bam Construction to build a £60m events and exhibition venue.

The 55,000ft2 Bluewater Events Venue based in Dartford, Kent, was designed by exhibition architects Denton Corker Marshall, and is scheduled to host its first events in late 2011.

The development will centre around a 32,000ft2 plaza and will include catering and restaurant space.

The contractor, which built the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the current redevelopment of Great Ormond Street Hospital, was selected following a tender process.

Once complete, the Bluewater Events Venue will aim to be the UK’s focal point for retail, shows and exhibitions.

Nigel Comben, BAM’s regional director for the South-east, said: “We are looking forward to building our partnership with Lend Lease to ensure we bring lasting benefits for the local community.

"The events venue is a significant development for Bluewater and we are delighted to be part of this exciting initiative.”