Brixton Village Studio
The historic Brixton Market is a vibrant Grade II listed street market in Brixton, London.
Brixton, London
Our work at Brixton Village focused on improving the market infrastructure, including improvements to public facilities and new electrical substations to provide adequate power to the 140 market traders. Our work also included converting the first-floor storage units into creative office space.
The market’s character, culture and diversity were first shaped by the Afro-Caribbean community during the 1940s - 1950s and are part of its charm today. The form of the market is characterised by covered arcades that fill the landlock space to the rear of the buildings facing the adjacent streets, notably Electric Avenue, the first electrified street market of the 1920s.
The storage units occupy the space between the double-height arcades and, as a result, have low ceilings and minimal ventilation. The key component of our design was to create a series of simple roof lanterns to provide extra height, light, and ventilation along the length of the space.
The lanterns are organised between the structural frame to minimise the impact on the listed building fabric and fragile hollow pot roof structure. Adding a new roof access structure and terrace allows for a new connection to the unique roofscape between the market arcades.
A ‘mend and make do' approach was taken by keeping as much of the existing fabric as possible, making this a low-cost, characterful addition to the market. The new office space provides a new active layer to the market, enhancing the already vibrant community.
Completed 2024
Photography by Nick Dearden