Thames Clippers were first established in May 1999, and have developed over the past ten years to become one of the most impressive transport modes. Having grown from a single boat and limited passengers in the early months, the business can now boast a fleet of thirteen boats and nearly thirteen million passengers. Such is the success of the river transport service which is now co-owned with AEG Europe, the demand has outstripped the ability of the existing infrastructure to cope with the number and frequency of boat movements. An upgrade or new build of existing facilities was considered necessary, and part of this development was the re-building of a new pier on the Southbank, in place of the current Festival pier.

The pier head building and pontoon were to be developed to enable a fast river boat service to travel directly to the O2, being part of an complement of services which were mutually beneficial to the passenger and audience.