Studio Voltaire (London Borough of Lambeth)

The artist Anthea Hamilton was commissioned to deliver the new entrance garden adjacent to the new pavement area to encourage a welcoming, clear, and accessible entrance to the newly public areas of Studio Voltaire.

Studio Voltaire’s main entrance has therefore changed to a generously planted, public garden and integral new social and civic community space. It offers a welcoming and inviting space to encourage use by neighbours, local residents and visitors, who also benefit from a new street-facing café.

During the projects design and construction phases, LB Lambeth were brought on board to fund highway improvements to create a new pavement, extend existing pavements and add traffic signage to slow traffic and ensure a safe entry/exit point to the building.

With London's artist workspaces under pressure, the redeveloped spaces aimed to maximise the workspace offer, refresh the artist cohort within the spaces and add new studios for new artists.

The project safeguarded and broadened the provision of workspace for artists with disabilities, through Studio Voltaire's partnership with ActionSpace. The leading disability arts organisation has expanded its current activities onsite by increasing their studio provision by 300 per cent.

The Communal Studio – housing 10 individual studios and a central shared social space – has also provided a much–needed, lower–priced alternative to artists who do not need a traditional studio.

These spaces have also allowed for the provision of additional cultural workers including curators, writers and educators, further contributing to the new studio culture.

'The Studio' is a new participatory space for engagement events delivered as part of the re-design. The space supports an extended public programme of artist’s talks, panel discussions, screenings and performance, significantly enriching the depth of engagement amongst new and existing audiences. It has been able to deliver more free activities to local schools, community groups and individuals who do not have a space of their own, or who do not ordinarily take part in arts activities.

This project has increased Studio Voltaire’s role within the local community. It has also significantly increased the number of participants who are able to take part in these programmes, greatly supporting community cohesion and lifelong learning.

The Studio Voltaire project created local training and employment opportunities, including:

• local activities. 2217 people participated in a Studio Voltaire activity, for example attending workshops
• 10 new full-time employment jobs
• 132 workshops targeting adults with learning disabilities

The project helped to strengthen London’s economy and business by:

• creating 69.7 square metres of commercial / business space
• safeguarding 481 square metres of affordable workspace
• creating 250.7 square metres of new affordable workspace

The project also helped to enable:

• a 23 per cent increase in area perception change
• a 63 per cent increase in footfall 
• 133 cultural events to take place

Delivery Partner: Studio Voltaire

Local Authority: Lambeth Council

Project partners: ActionSpace, ACE (Arts Council England), and a diverse range of other funders

Architect: Matheson Whiteley

Artists: Anthea Hamilton, Nicholas Byrne, Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan