3 ms·

Just like The Millennium Dome, in a country far, far away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Dome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Dome This di

Just like The Millennium Dome, in a country far, far away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Dome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Dome This did not work and there was just a huge void of content that no amount of inspiration could 'fill'. I worked on it and did not go to see the finished work, I was that ashamed! Compare and contrast with something like the German IFA trade show that really does show off the technology of the future. Perhaps the problem is compounded when you have to make it nationalistic as is required for a world type of Expo. The world is too global for country pavilions to work, for instance, why would Ford Motor Co. build a stand on an American pavilion when they have been a global company for the last century and market themselves as local product in all of their major markets.

abritinthebay 9y ago
But the Dome was great, it was exceedingly fun! The problem it had was incompetent management and fraudulent financial planning. It's visitors still put it in the top 10 attractions for the year and no-one I know who went didn't enjoy it. Just because there were fraudulent and frankly stupid claims of how many visitors it would get (which nobody believed) doesn't put it in this category
- deanclatworthy 9y ago
  Agreed. There seems to be this disingenuous memory of the dome from a lot of the population. I remember visiting as a teenager and had a fantastic time. Like you, I've never spoken to anyone that visited who didn't enjoy it. Now it remains an iconic London landmark and is used for events every week - providing somewhat of a legacy. I wish it had remained as some kind of national science museum. It would have had a longer lasting cultural impact.
  - abritinthebay 9y ago
    I think it's because tabloids harped on that it was going to be awful for 2 years and the swirled on ANY info after the fact that could criticize it. Obviously it was not a sensible financial investment but it was a significant cultural touchstone (and the space is still in use as well as being iconic)
rm_-rf_slash 9y ago
Absolutely right. There's just one little smidge of a problem: these "global" events have to happen somewhere.
tonyedgecombe 9y ago
I remember people in my office complaining about how bad the Millennium Dome was, when I asked none of them had visited it.
- vixen99 9y ago
  And the value of the Millennium Dome should be assessed on the basis of anecotal evidence (a personal visit) as against an independent balance sheet of costs and benefits for British citizens as a whole?

abritinthebay 9y ago

But the Dome was great, it was exceedingly fun! The problem it had was incompetent management and fraudulent financial planning. It's visitors still put it in the top 10 attractions for the year and no-one I know who went didn't enjoy it. Just because there were fraudulent and frankly stupid claims of how many visitors it would get (which nobody believed) doesn't put it in this category

deanclatworthy 9y ago
Agreed. There seems to be this disingenuous memory of the dome from a lot of the population. I remember visiting as a teenager and had a fantastic time. Like you, I've never spoken to anyone that visited who didn't enjoy it. Now it remains an iconic London landmark and is used for events every week - providing somewhat of a legacy. I wish it had remained as some kind of national science museum. It would have had a longer lasting cultural impact.
- abritinthebay 9y ago
  I think it's because tabloids harped on that it was going to be awful for 2 years and the swirled on ANY info after the fact that could criticize it. Obviously it was not a sensible financial investment but it was a significant cultural touchstone (and the space is still in use as well as being iconic)

rm_-rf_slash 9y ago

Absolutely right. There's just one little smidge of a problem: these "global" events have to happen somewhere.

tonyedgecombe 9y ago

I remember people in my office complaining about how bad the Millennium Dome was, when I asked none of them had visited it.

vixen99 9y ago
And the value of the Millennium Dome should be assessed on the basis of anecotal evidence (a personal visit) as against an independent balance sheet of costs and benefits for British citizens as a whole?