August 15, 2017
Carl Turner, founder of Pop Brixton, has submitted a planning application to transform a vacant car park in Woolwich into a dynamic community of retailers, restaurants and local enterprises trading out of recycled shipping containers.
The meanwhile project, named ‘Wool Yard’, will innovatively utilise 32 recycled shipping containers on a small 0.14 acrebrownfield site opposite the Lidl supermarket on Creton Street. Around 60% of the containers will be dedicated co-working spaces and studios, targeted at local businesses and entrepreneurs requiring flexible workspace to launch and grow their operations. The remaining space will be reserved for leisure uses, predominantly small scale food and beverage operators who will locate around a central courtyard with seating areas at ground floor level.
Carl Turner, Founder and Director of Carl Turner Architects said; ‘Wool Yard will bring much needed affordable work and leisure space to the centre of Woolwich which we hope will transform a disused site into a hub of creative activity and enterprise for the benefit of the community.’
CTA has previous experience of designing and curating similar schemes, having been the architect and developer behind Pop Brixton in partnership with Lambeth Council. Pop Brixton is a leading urban example of creative regeneration that delivered over200 new jobs and attracts approximately 1 million visitors annually.
‘It is our intention that Wool Yard will become an incubator where entrepreneurs and small local businesses can locate together and create powerful synergies. Addressing the lack of affordable and flexible business space in a creative and sustainable manner can act as a catalyst for positive change in a community, as we saw in Brixton’, continued Carl Turner.
Kricket, an Anglo/Indian restaurant concept that launched as a pop-up in one of Pop Brixton’s shipping containers in 2015 is testament to the location’s success, having opened a site on Denman Street in Soho after a nine month trialin Brixton.
CTA aspires to achieve a similar transformation in Woolwich with Wool Yard. Its creative spaces will help nurture small local businesses and independent vendors seeking to succeed in a fast changing and vibrant local community, where over 6000 new residential units are planned or under construction and Crossrail is due to open in 2018.
ENDS
