Hasta La Ideas

News: architect David Adjaye has been commissioned to design a fashion hub in Hackney as part of efforts to regenerate the area after the 2011 riots.

The £100 million Hackney Fashion Hub will be supported with £2 million from a regeneration fund set up by the Greater London Authority to help businesses and retailers affected by the rioting.

Working with Manhattan Loft Corporation, the developers behind the restoration of London’s St Pancras Renaissance hotel, Adjaye will create a permanent retail space in two buildings to include shops, a cafe, restaurant and design studios.

“Our proposals offer a beacon for Hackney Central,” said Adjaye. “The buildings will create a light-filled, compelling environment that captures Hackney’s creative energy, gives local residents a sense of pride in their built environment and provides an exciting new draw for visitors.”

The area is already home to a small cluster of fashion outlets for luxury brands Burberry, Pringle and Aquascutum.

In 2006 the Tanzanian-born architect was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize for his Whitechapel Idea Store, a glass-fronted community building in another deprived part of east London. A year later he was awarded an OBE for services to British architecture.

Last year Adjaye completed two neighbourhood libraries in Washington DC and topped a list of Britain’s most influential black people – see all architecture by David Adjaye.

See more architecture and design from Hackney.

Here’s the full press release:

New Hackney Landmark Looks Set to Create Hundreds of Jobs in East London

Renowned architect David Adjaye has been commissioned to design a new landmark for Hackney: a world class fashion development in E9.

Manhattan Loft Corporation, the developers behind the St Pancras Renaissance restoration and Chatham Works are looking to build a new ‘fashion hub’ on Morning Lane and Chatham Place.

As part of the plans, which will be submitted to the London Borough of Hackney at the end of March permanent retail space will be provided across two buildings over five and eight floors.

The buildings will be located on Morning Lane. Alongside leading fashion houses offering customers the opportunity to buy discounted goods, design studios will also be created where up and coming local designers can showcase and sell their products; making the fashion hub a unique centre for Hackney’s design community.

The hope is that the provision of a permanent fashion hub will create hundreds of jobs for local people.

It will be the UK’s first inner-city fashion outlet centre, providing a complete shopping experience.

Harry Handelsman, Chief Executive of Manhattan Loft Corporation, said: “The aim of this fashion hub is to establish a focus in Hackney Town Centre for the promotion of both local and international brands involved in the design, manufacture and sale of retail products.

“It will deliver major investment and lasting regeneration to this part of London and we hope to be able to encourage more creative people to bring companies such as Tatty Devine, Black Truffle and Fabrications into the area. We are incredibly excited about making the heart of Hackney an international focal point for the world of fashion.”

Jack Basrawy, of Chatham Works said: “We’ve been working closely with Hackney Council’s Ways into Work scheme, a programme that supports the unemployed, so that Hackney residents are at the front of the queue for the new jobs. Pringle and Aquascutum are already employing Hackney residents. Our proposals will hopefully create even more job opportunities for local people.”

David Adjaye, Principal Architect of Adjaye Associates, who was named Most Influential Black Figure of 2012 and is recognised as producing some of the best building designs in the world, said: “Our proposals offer a beacon for Hackney Central. The buildings will create a light-filled, compelling environment that captures Hackney’s creative energy, gives local residents a sense of pride in their built environment and provides an exciting new draw for visitors.”

Digby Nicklin, Commercial Director of Commercial Estate at Network Rail, said: “Across the capital, we are working with our neighbours to open up and renovate arches to attract niche entrepreneurs and build business communities.

“Working with small business through arch development schemes we are also helping to regenerate parts of London and creating employment opportunities.”

The permanent world class fashion development will replace the temporary structures which have already been created on site by Manhattan Loft Corporation and Chatham Works and which currently house leading fashion brands Pringle and Aquascutum.

Work has already started to convert the railway arches in Morning Lane between Churchwell Path and Link Street into new retail spaces; also designed by Adjaye Associates these will sit alongside the new development.

The plans for the development will see some 7,000 square metres of new retail space created for fashion outlets, a café, restaurant and design studios.

In addition to new open space, pedestrianised areas and signage will be created to encourage visitors to explore Hackney Central and visit Mare Street, Narroway and other surrounding retail areas.

Hackney Council, Network Rail and the Mayor of London have provided support for the scheme, which is set to create jobs for local people and benefit local businesses, with the expected increase in visitors to the area. Local people are currently being consulted about the plans. If granted permission in the summer of this year the fashion hub could be built by 2016.

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