Ice House Court Studios
Creation of studio spaces for up to 25 artists at the heart of the emerging Ice House Arts Quarter, a new mixed-use neighbourhood situated adjacent to the River Roding in Barking. Developed in collaboration with the client Bow Arts and the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, the project involved the fit out of an existing shell and core commercial space on the ground floor of a recently completed residential block.
Responding to the existing fully glazed facade, the primary intervention was a new timber screen and shelving system lining the perimeter of the spaces. Providing a sense of material continuity and rhythm throughout the studios, the screen helps mitigate perceived overlooking from the surrounding public realm whilst simultaneously enabling the artists to embrace the shopfront nature of the facade to display their work. The intrinsically flexible nature of the shelving system is intended to be changeable, encouraging artists to tailor the spaces to their specific needs and practices.
