Sugarhouse Studios Pop-Up Cinema & Workshop Encourages Community Interaction in London

Nestled in an almost abandoned industrial area near the heart of the London Olympics is a new community space dedicated to redevelopment. <a href="http://sugarhousestudios.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sugarhouse Studios</a> is part pop-up cinema, workshop space, cafe and pizzeria. <a href="http://www.assemblestudio.co.uk/" target="_blank">Assemble</a>, an artist, designer and architect collaborative in London, converted an abandoned sign-writers workshop into this mixed-use building with aim of encouraging community engagement and developing new ways to redevelop the industrial area. Using reclaimed and salvaged materials, Assemble, with aid from the <a href="http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk/limelight-shines-on-sugarhouse-studios/" target="_blank">London Legacy Development Corporation</a>, has created a vibrant center where people can gather to discuss, learn and create.

The site for <a href="http://sugarhousestudios.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sugarhouse Studios</a> is located south of the Olympic Park in a former sign-writers workshop, which is scheduled for demolition 2013 as part of a new residential and business development.

Rather than leave the building dormant Assemble and the <a href="http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk/limelight-shines-on-sugarhouse-studios/" target="_blank">London Legacy Development Corporation</a> decided to make use of the space and turn it into a multi-purpose community space.

The purpose of the temporary project is to get the community thinking about what the redevelopment of the area could be and provide amenities (previously there were none).

Using reclaimed and salvaged materials found in the workshop and in the area, <a href="http://www.assemblestudio.co.uk/" target="_blank">Assemble</a> built a 50-seat cinema, a cafe and pizzeria and a workshop space.

The cinema seats were hand built using reclaimed scaffolding boards, reclaimed wood was used to build the cafe furniture and bar and 95% of the leftover waste was recycled.

Every week Sugarhouse Studios holds movie screenings on Thursdays, the cafe is open each day starting at 8 am and on Sundays there is a dinner club.

The workshop spaces are used by a variety of groups for lectures, group think, interactive projects and much more.

Events are continually being added and the space will be used far beyond the Olympics until demolition in 2013.

Dinner club on Sunday nights.

Sugarhouse Studios floorplan.

Location of Sugarhouse Studios compared to Olympic Park.

Materials used to create Sugarhouse Studios.

Sugarhouse Studios before the conversion.