The building is situated in Hackney Wick, a former industrial area now home to the highest concentration of artists’ studios in Europe

The White Building

A community arts venue in Hackney Wick commissioned by the London Legacy Development Corporation as part of the ‘Olympic Fringe’.

The ‘Olympic Fringe’ is a string of small-scale projects aimed at stitching the Olympic Park into the surrounding city fabric. ‘The White Building’ project was won through invited competition by David Kohn Architects in collaboration with Exploration Architecture, specialists in environmentally sustainable design.

The project is situated in Hackney Wick, a former industrial area now home to the highest concentration of artists’ studios in Europe. A disused print works was refurbished to provide artists’ studio spaces, a group studio, a hire space with views of the Olympic Park and a brewery. The White Building now provides one of the few public faces to the established artistic community in the area.

On the ground floor, concrete block walls and steel framed windows were used to create the feel of an outdoor courtyard that connected to the adjacent canalside. On the first floor, sheeps wool stuffed into red nets was suspended from the ceiling to create a distinctive interior with excellent thermal and acoustic performance. New entrances to each part of the building allow it to function as both a single venue and a constellation of smaller spaces as needed.

The White Building was commended in the New London Awards 2013 and is shortlisted for a Retrofit Award 2013.

Project

Multi-Use Cultural Centre
Invited Competition

Location

Hackney Wick, London, United Kingdom

Client

London Legacy Development Corporation

Size

700 m2

Status

Completed 2012

Construction Value

£550,000

Design Team

David Kohn, Tom McGlynn, Saya Hakamata

Collaborators
Exploration Architecture
Muf architecture/ art
Alan Baxter Associates
Capita Symonds
Modern Activity
BRAC Contracts

Awards
New London Awards 2013, Commended

Photography
Will Pryce

New entrances to each part of the building allow it to function as both single venue and a constellation of smaller spaces
The White Building provides one of the few public faces to the established artistic community in the area
The disused print works now provides artists’ studio spaces, a group studio, a hire space, and a brewery
Sheeps wool stuffed into red nets in the ceiling creates a distinctive interior with excellent thermal and acoustic performance
Multifunctional event and studio space
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