Battersea Arts Centre

Fred Howarth

Envisioned as an improvisatory collaboration with artists, theatre producers and locals, the client brief for Battersea Arts Centre was for creative and community activity; in response to this HT have

NEW LONDON AWARDS 2020

OVERALL WINNER OF THE NEW LONDON AWARDS 2020 and winner in the COMMUNITY PRIZE and EXPERIENCING CULTURE category

Envisioned as an improvisatory collaboration with artists, theatre producers and locals, the client brief for Battersea Arts Centre was for creative and community activity.

Haworth Tompkins have completed a 12-year transformation of the Grade II* listed Battersea Arts Centre. Begun as an extended, collaboration with the local community, the former town hall is now used for creative and community activity, increasing performance spaces from 4 to 35 and incorporating artists’ bedrooms, a rooftop office and staff garden, a creative business hub, a community garden and outdoor theatre. Throughout, the materials palette is largely in response to the former town hall’s rich history; a bar installation by artist Jake Tilson records the evidence of the 2015 Grand Hall fire, as do the scarred, unrestored walls of the hall itself.

View the 2020 winning projects here

Project information

Status

Built

Borough

Wandsworth

Size

5625 sq m

Estimated completion

August 2018

Location

165 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5QH, UK