Westbourne Studios
Westbourne Studios is a Westbourne Park, West London office development of approximately 100 work spaces, aimed at young creative businesses serving the Notting Hill area.
The 2002 building is located near Westbourne Park tube station and upon completion was considered "one of Britain's most imaginative new office complexes."[1]
Completed in January 2002, Westbourne Studios is "a highly intelligent use of an awkward site, and a way of looking at property development afresh."[1] according to The Guardian newspaper. Quoted in The Independent, "Dickon Robinson, the chief executive of the Peabody Trust, perhaps Britain's most innovative housing developer, describes this strange courtyard as "the most interesting internal space in London in the last decade"."[2]
The building’s design is considered radical for its colour; a deep shade of purple, and its form. In plan, the building’s form is both triangular and curvilinear. In section, the profile is ‘U’ shaped with the Westway motorway piercing and crossing the building’s very centre.
The overhead motorway thus doubles as roof to the central social area. This includes a bar/café, exhibition space and other amenities all of which were incorporated at the outset rather than as add-ons.
It was designed by Graham Clark architect for clients Nick and Simon Kirkham with John Tooke and Partners as structural engineers and Patrick Bellew of Atelier10 was the environmental engineer.
Though the design was originally accredited to the Kirkhams in the press, retractions have been issued and Graham Clark has been acknowledged as the designer of the project.
In addition to the office facilities, the building has a wide variety of communal spaces, and is becoming popular as an arts venue. It has hosted an opera,[1] and is a venue for the Portobello Film Festival.[3]
The bar and courtyard area turn into a club with famous and local djs on Friday and Saturday nights as well as Special and private events. The Club/ Restaurant is called Under The Westway, see the website for more information, programme etc... : www.utww.co.uk
In October 2012 The Westbourne Studios Club re-launched itself under the helm of DJ and producer Seb Fontaine who brings with him a host of exciting emerging DJ talent, cutting edge cultural events and a new club membership too.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Glancey, Jonathan (26 August 2002). "A road runs through it". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
- ^ Merrick, Jay (9 January 2002). "Arts: Wasteland revisited ; It's an unpromising site, but London's Westway flyover has become host to a remarkable new development of studios designed by Graham Clark formerly of Langley Clark Architects. Will this, asks JAY MERRICK, pave the way for greater innovation in urban renewal?". The Independent. Independent News & Media. pp. 12–13. Archived from the original on 16 January 2002. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|subscription=ignored (|url-access=suggested) (help) - ^ Worsley, Kate (6 October 2002). "Living Review Design: We can make it ; Fancy starting your own creative business? Don't want to run it from the spare bedroom? You are not alone. Kate Worsley visits the state- of-the-art Westbourne Studios, where an army of designers and artists are discovering that `work can be play'". The Independent on Sunday. Independent News & Media. pp. 42–4. Archived from the original on 6 October 2002. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|subscription=ignored (|url-access=suggested) (help) - ^ "Westbourne Studios Go West". The Handbook. 25 October 2012.
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