EMERGING LONDON 2018

Best location in London for visiting with family/relatives? Richmond Park, Kenwood, Natural History Museum, The Royal Academy of Arts. What is your favoured form of transport around the capital? Bicycle and tube. Part of London you’d like to explore more and why? The East End and Royal Docks. I am fascinated by the changes that will take place here in the next 15-20 years. London has been redeveloped and regenerated to the west nearly as far as Heathrow, but the east is still relatively early in the process. BRIXTON SW9 Brixton has successfully moved away from the troubled image that it acquired following the civil unrest of the early 1980s and transformed itself into a hip and happening neighbourhood. In recent years it has earned itself a reputation as a proving ground for budding entrepreneurs, especially in the food sector. The location was the birthplace for go-to eateries Honest Burgers and Franco Manca. And the innovative pop-up retail and leisure venue Pop Brixton, close to the tube station, started life in Brixton only as recently as 2015. A brainchild of Carl Turner Architects (who, along with a team now branded as Make Shift, have gone on to a similarly ground-breaking project in Peckham – see pages 28-29) the ‘temporary’ installation of over 50 outlets and workspaces in recycled shipping containers will survive on part of a site known as Brixton Central until at least 2020. A refresh of the Brixton Central masterplan, which includes plans for the creation of 250 homes and 100,000 sq ft of commercial space, is expected in 2018. Other regeneration projects in the pipeline include Lambeth council’s £100m Somerleyton Road redevelopment (300 new homes) and Network Rail’s £8m revamp of railway arches around the mainline station for new commercial occupiers. An impressive recent transformation is the remediation of a dilapidated Victorian building now called The Department Store by Squire & Partners. The architecture practice moved its headquarters and over 200 staff there from King’s Cross in late 2017. KEY STATISTICS C&W Evolutionary Status: TRULY ESTABLISHED C&W Location Ranking: 8 TfL travel zone: 2 Local authority: Lambeth Distance from central London: 3 miles south Population: 335,000 (©GLA borough population projections 2018) How would you describe what is happening in Brixton? Brixton is going through a period of significant growth and change. Regeneration development and new build developments are springing up all around the area. This brings with it a certain tension between the developers and the people pushing for change and the people who have been here for many years. Brixton has a hugely diverse mix of people and cultures and it is incredibly important to preserve its character and local small businesses during this period of change otherwise its soul and distinct character could be lost. The next 10 years will be a hugely defining period for Brixton’s development. Which five words best describe Brixton? 1. Electric 2. Diverse 3. Music 4. Markets 5. Fun What are people who haven’t been to Brixton missing? The street and covered markets. The nightlife. The Brixton Academy. The Ritzy Cinema. Music. Apart from Brixton, what is your favourite part of London and why? I have always loved the view from Waterloo bridge. Day or night, looking in any direction, it captures so much of what London is about: its energy, its mixture of historical and contemporary architecture and the river which flows timelessly through it. What is the most exciting change you see in London over the next five years? London is undergoing a transformation not really seen since Victorian times and the amount of building and large areas of regeneration are incredibly exciting. Seeing the delivery and completion of The Elizabeth Line will be a real boost for London. Do you have a personal ‘hidden London’ location you’d like to share? I once went to a disused tube station that was used as a major communications centre during the second world war. It runs under Fleet Street and all of the old WWII telephone exchange systems were still down there. Even the bunk beds, tables and chairs and everything people used to go about their daily lives was still down there. Best location in London to shop for quirky gifts? Brixton Market, Clapham Old Town, Portobello Road, Camden Market. Best location in London to eat? The West End is pretty unparalleled for choice. Best location in London for a night out with friends? Brixton, Shoreditch, Notting Hill, Islington. Henry Squire PARTNER/CO-LEADER SQUIRE & PARTNERS MY LONDON Spotlight on 33 SPOTLIGHT ON BRIXTON 32 CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD  | EMERGING LONDON