There is no missing Outernet London. The extraordinary cavernous space of the Now Building — invariably filled with gawping, awe-struck visitors day or night — dominates the junction of Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Roads close to the base of Centre Point.
A corner of the West End that was for decades intimidating and harsh has been softened by this alluring, immersive beacon of hi-tech digital light and colour, its vast four-storey, floor-to-ceiling LED screens drawing in curious passers-by since it opened in November 2022.
Sometimes the interiors will display a calming image of softly falling flower petals, or perhaps an elaborate mansion with ever-changing artwork. This week the screens will host an enormous multi-player version of the puzzle game Tetris to mark its 40th anniversary.
It is a creation that has impressed even the giants of Hollywood. “Ridley Scott walked into that space and said, ‘This is the most epic space for storytelling I’ve ever seen’,” says Philip O’Ferrall, Outernet’s president and CEO.
By some measures Outernet is now the most visited attraction in London with more than six million people passing through last year, putting it well ahead of the traditional tourist destinations such as the British Museum or the Tower of London.
But Outernet is far more than just its 23,000 sq ft of screens, magnetic though they are. It also comprises shops, restaurants, a massive new theatre and entertainment complex, and a space for gigs. And driving it all is former Viacom media executive O’Ferrall, who worked with brands such as MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount,
Outernet itself came about as a joint project between O’Ferrall and his business partner Laurence Kirschel. Tottenham Court Road had long been pinpointed as an ideal spot for regeneration, in large part because the arrival of the Elizabeth line would bring millions more visitors to what was seen as the rough end of Oxford Street. When O’Ferrall saw the plans, he also saw an opportunity to create a new type of space.
“I’ve always wanted to find a district in a city where you can go in and take it over for a brand,” he says. Drawing on his experience of working in television, O’Ferrall compares Outernet to “a TV network”.
The Now Building he likens to a free-to-access streaming platform, but one surrounded by an ecosystem of other services: shops, restaurants, concert space HERE and the theatre, @sohoplace, all of which feed into each other.
In the wake of the alarming loss of affordable nightlife in central London, the space — set in the traditional late-night hub of Denmark Street in Soho — feels especially important. “We’ve got a 4am licence now, we’re just about to extend the time,” O’Ferrall says. “There’s a very real lack of cool places to go out — you get to a concert, for example, and you come out, and then what do you do?”
Well, maybe you head over to Now’s massive screens, the biggest of their kind in the world, with graphics by gaming software Unreal Engine, and take in their 57-channel surround audio, which is “the same thing you have at [music festival] Tomorrowland”.
“We’ve got a 4am licence now, we’re just about to extend the time. There’s a very real lack of cool places to go out — you get to a concert, for example, and you come out, and then what do you do?”
Every night, the space is full of people, sitting together and watching as one of the many mini-films that Outernet puts on scrolls past. It’s a space that brings people together, much to O’Ferrall’s delight.
Next stop, the Big Apple
“There’s obviously [been] changes in consumer habits and I think Covid massively helped people’s desire to get back into the physical space,” O’Ferrall says. “People want to come together to share in experiences.”
Creating something that people will enjoy is therefore key. So far, Outernet has worked with British creatives, artists and students at centres of excellence such as the Royal College of Art, BRIT School and Ravensbourne tech college to create new experiences — as well as hosting gigs for artists such as Gabriels and Ed Sheeran.
Does he feel like the British creative scene is doing well? “Some of the most amazing creatives in the world begin their lives in the UK. Music is a massive industry that exports around the world; obviously, it’s incredible.”
Plus, there’s the art world. Outernet is pairing with artists like Marina Abramović to make their work more accessible.
This year, as in previous years, O’Ferrall’s team worked with Frieze art fair, and he cites the example of Margate artist Alice Bloomfield, who exhibited her work in the space and “is now on her journey to become a director”, as one of Outernet’s success stories.
There was also the collaboration with Gladiator II director Ridley Scott, with whom the space launched Tomorrow Now, an initiative aimed at nurturing creative talent.
Two years in, Outernet is still evolving with the rest of London’s city centre — for instance, Sadiq Khan’s plan to pedestrianise Oxford Circus, which O’Ferrall is broadly in favour of.
“It would be an amazing thing for Outernet, for retail and the West End in my opinion, [but] it will build on the existing challenges with traffic… ultimately, you have to do what’s right for the masses. There’s no question: fewer cars and traffic jams has got to be a [good thing].”
The ultimate aim is to take Outernet global: next stop, New York. “The future was set before I agreed to come here, and it was multiple Outernets,” says O’Ferrall. “I truly believe we’re going to be exporting some incredible, unique things out of the UK.”
