Westbourne Studios
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Westbourne Studios is an office development of approximately 100 work spaces, aimed at young creative businesses serving the Notting Hill area.
The building is located in West London near Westbourne Park tube and is 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 non-architects Nick and Simon Kirkham with John Tooke and Partners as structural engineers.
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]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Glancey, Jonathan (2002-08-26). A road runs through it. The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
- ^ Merrick, Jay. "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 the Kirkham brothers. Will this, asks JAY MERRICK, pave the way for greater innovation in urban renewal?" (subscription required), The Independent, Independent News & Media, 2002-01-09, pp. 12-13. Retrieved on 2007-10-18. Archived from [www.independent.co.uk the original] on 2002-01-16.
- ^ Worsley, Kate. "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'" (subscription required), The Independent on Sunday, Independent News & Media, 2002-10-06, pp. 42-4. Retrieved on 2007-10-18. Archived from [www.independent.co.uk the original] on 2002-10-06.
