Cockpit Deptford has occupied a 1960s council building next to the water at Creekside in south London since 2002, but a £3.24 million refurbishment by Cooke Fawcett Architects has given it a new lease of life. Demand for studio space is higher ever, according to Jonathan Burton, CEO of London’s Cockpit Studios. For nearly 40 years, Cockpit Studios has housed craftspeople from more than 20 disciplines in subsidised studio spaces in Bloomsbury and Deptford, so it’s good news that the new headquarters has just opened in the latter.
The organisation and its new base now house 60 studios instead of 40, a new café, woodworking and leather working hubs and a craft garden created by British designer Sebastian Cox.
Cockpit Deptford: step inside the new headquarters
A revamped leather-working hub, an education space and a new exterior mural complete the picture. Created by Cockpit resident artist Amber Khokhar, the mural depicts the colourful, multicultural history of Deptford: a safety-pin tile is an homage to Sid Vicious, who lived here; a record reminds us that Northern Soul was given its name in SE8. Bobbins, knives, pencils and rope – all tools of the trade – lie within.
The new craft garden features plants that are used in the making process – willow in basketry, flax and madder in natural dyes. Rubble beds are made from the waste from the refurb and Cox’s first outdoor tables and chairs are a good spot to sit and have a coffee from the new Spring Café.
The privilege of being a Cockpit resident is 24-hour access to the site and ample outdoor yard space in which to make noise, create dust and receive deliveries. The whole space invites greater public interaction, crucial given all the makers rely on selling their work. ‘Creating an open, dynamic space which the public could see into but not necessarily enter was one of the main challenges,’ says Francis Fawcett.
Cockpit Deptford is unveiled just in time for its Open Studios. Taking place over two weekends in June, visitors can go behind the scenes in Deptford and at Cockpit’s sister site in Bloomsbury and buy directly from more than 175 makers, among them wood sculptor Eleanor Lakelin, whose solo exhibition opens at Sarah Myerscough Gallery this month.
-
Vacheron Constantin maps the zodiac on a watch dialCraftsmanship and technical expertise combine in Vacheron Constantin's Métiers d’Art series, Tribute to the Celestial
-
Delve into the visual world of a lost airline in this impressive chronicle of a corporate identity'Red Square' is the story of Mary de Saulles and the 1960s BEA corporate identity, a comprehensive airline re-brand that still feels fresh today
-
'A small piece of architecture': BassamFellows reissue Philip Johnson and Richard Kelly's floor lightPhilip Johnson and Richard Kelly's floor light was originally designed for the architect's Glass House and available from BassamFellows this Autumn
-
Visiting an experimental UK home: welcome to HousesteadThis experimental UK home, Housestead by Sanei + Hopkins, brings together architectural explorations and daily life in these architects’ own home
-
A house in Leamington Spa is a domestic oasis infused with contemporary sensibilitiesThis house in Leamington Spa, by John Pardey Architects, brings together flood risk considerations, a conservation area's historic character, and contemporary sensibilities
-
A garden explaining carbon capture in nature? Head to Kew in LondonKew unveils 'Carbon Garden', a new offering at London's Royal Botanic Gardens that's all about carbon capture within nature; and how plants and soil can be leveraged to help us battle climate change
-
An old war barracks is transformed into a charming Dorset Beach HouseNestled in its coastal setting, a redesigned barracks home in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty becomes a contemporary Dorset beach house by Architecture for London
-
Studio Bark has transformed a Victorian villa into an eco-friendly family homeA Victorian villa in the South of England has been overhauled with new low-energy systems and a self-build addition to create a home fit for the future
-
The inimitable Norman Foster: our guide to the visionary architect, shaping the futureNorman Foster has shaped today's London and global architecture like no other in his field; explore his work through our ultimate guide to this most impactful contemporary architect
-
Shard Place offers residents the chance to live in the shadow of London’s tallest buildingThe 27-storey tower from Renzo Piano Building Workshop joins The Shard and The News Building to complete Shard Quarter, providing a sophisticated setting for renters
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
