“An outstanding artistic space.”
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London

Squeezed between the main line out of Liverpool Street and London Fields, the Hothouse is a centre for public arts on a brownfield site in Hackney, providing a new headquarters for free form arts trust. The arches of the adjacent railway viaduct house studios and workshops.

Like the site the building is long and narrow, and wraps like a boomerang along the park boundary. On the park side a continuous glass window overhangs a green, heavily planted ground floor wall with amoeba-shaped openings. On the railway side staggered brick panels with gridded projections protect the building from noise and vibration.

Phase 1 of the masterplan was completed in September 2002. Phase 2 comprises two additional storeys and was completed in October 2007.

Bura awards 2004
• Best practice in regeneration award
• English Partnerships award for partnership in regeneration

London planning awards 2003
• Best planned building project contributing to London’s future
• Mayor’s special award for planning excellence

RSA art for architecture award 2001