Des Gunewardena has announced plans to open a multifaceted restaurant and bar next year at Olympia, the Victorian exhibition halls in west London currently undergoing a five-year upgrade costing £1.3bn.

The announcement comes as Des, a former partner in D&D London, opens the first ventures of his new company D3 Collective – Engel and Jang, a restaurant and bar at the Royal Exchange in the City.

The Olympia project includes a restaurant, cafe/grill, central bar, outdoor dining space and basement speakeasy, all set inside the 30,000 sq ft Pillar Hall, which was built in 1885 to a design by architect Henry Edward Cole and is now Grade II listed. The hall will also include a music and events space accommodating 600 people, while the wider Olympia redevelopment will also comprise two exhibition venues, two hotels, a 4,000-capacity music arena, a theatre and more than 30 bars and restaurants.

Des said, “Olympia is a much loved British institution, but many people might not have been there for a while. With these plans, that’s going to change big time. The new Olympia is going to become a globally recognised entertainment and leisure destination bang in the middle of West London, and we are excited to be a part of it.”