A community of creatives

If creativity is about new ideas and unique responses, then you’d expect a collection of creatives to set up in an equally unique location. In Shoreditch in England, Village Underground has formed the first of a string of bases hosting a mixed-discipline community of creatives.

In a series of disused trains and shipping containers, artists, designers, filmmakers and musicians have a refreshing space they can use for their projects. The studios are an amalgamation of two intrinsic elements – a collection of recycled ex-London Underground train carriages, coupled with the expansive raw space of a restored Victorian warehouse, which can be transformed into a flexible and multi-functional arena for a wide range of creative activity. “Eventually we discovered a section of the Broad Street Rail Viaduct cutting through the middle of Shoreditch. Built in 1848, the viaduct had been derelict for over 20 years and had self seeded into a meadow, complete with trees and wildlife.

“A perfect location for a collection of trains,” Village Underground explains. Most of the power for the studios is supplied by solar panels. The long shapes of the trains make for a striking form perched on top of the warehouse, while inside, the renovated carriages mean creative work is steaming along.