Gort Scott Architects creates a hub for Walthamstow’s burgeoning creative community

The east London borough of Waltham Forest has been undergoing a slow but steady makeover in recent years. Thanks to an influx of young buyers priced out of central London, the end-of-the-line neighbourhood has transformed itself into one of the capital's most desirable areas with a blossoming creative community to match.
As a reflection of this, last year the London Borough of Waltham Forest commissioned the refurbishment of the Central Parade with funding help from the GLA. Opened this summer, the project has seen the former 1960s office building reborn as a new cultural and creative enterprise hub designed by young architectural practice Gort Scott. Open for two years while the long-term future of the site is decided upon, the Central Parade is now home to 650 sq m of retail and co-working spaces with meeting rooms, flexible event and exhibition space, small ‘maker’ shops available for those who wish to pilot new products or services, and studio units for up to 50 independent creative businesses.
Already home to an independent start-up bakery and café run by Hackney artisan sourdough bread company Today Bread, the Central Parade is operated by Meanwhile Space, a social enterprise that specialises in delivering temporary and affordable workspaces that benefit local communities.
‘We stripped back the linings of the outdated council one-stop shop; the lowered ceilings, carpets, partitioned desks etc, to create a generous, robust hall-like space,’ says Jay Gort, director of Gort Scott, who also developed a range of bespoke furniture for the project. ‘Simultaneously, we ensured that the façades of this landmark building were sensitively updated to re-establish the building's positive contribution to the streetscape. We worked closely with graphic designers Polimekanos to develop a graphic identity for the project which was inspired by the original decorative façade tiles.’
From the outside, subtle updates indicate the building’s change in use; the underside of the wave canopy has been painted a vibrant yellow, two new street entrances have been introduced, new signage has been added and bicycle parking has been instated.
While Gort Scott has previously completed a number of projects in Waltham Forest – two separate urban design frameworks for Blackhorse Lane and the town centre, the regeneration of Wood Street Indoor Market and a strategy for public realm interventions in the Blackhorse Lane area – the borough has a number of new projects in the works as part of its continued regeneration. These include a new Creative Industries Zone and a Housing Zone in Blackhorse Lane, and the redevelopment of St James Street.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Gort Scott website
Photography: Dirk Lindner
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ali Morris is a UK-based editor, writer and creative consultant specialising in design, interiors and architecture. In her 16 years as a design writer, Ali has travelled the world, crafting articles about creative projects, products, places and people for titles such as Dezeen, Wallpaper* and Kinfolk.
-
Eurostar announces new direct trains to Switzerland and Germany
Following a new culinary offering and the unveiling of refurbished premier lounges, Eurostar reveals its plans for direct travel from London to Geneva and Frankfurt by the early 2030s
-
Donna Trope celebrates the power of the Polaroid in Paris
‘Polaroids used to be my rejects, and now they are my holy grail,’ says the beauty photographer, as she shows rarely seen images in a Paris exhibition
-
Lego and Serpentine Galleries celebrate World Play Day with a new pavilion
Lego and Serpentine Galleries have just unveiled their Play Pavilion; a colourful new structure in Kensington Gardens in London and a gesture that celebrates World Play Day (11 June)
-
Lego and Serpentine Galleries celebrate World Play Day with a new pavilion
Lego and Serpentine Galleries have just unveiled their Play Pavilion; a colourful new structure in Kensington Gardens in London and a gesture that celebrates World Play Day (11 June)
-
Inside Abbey Road's refresh: touring the legendary studio's new interior
Abbey Road gets an interior refresh by Threefold Architects, bringing the legendary London recording studio in tune with the 21st century
-
The Serpentine Pavilion 2025 is ready to visit, ‘an exhibition you can use’
The Serpentine Pavilion 2025 is ready for its public opening on 6 June; we toured the structure and spoke to its architect, Marina Tabassum
-
A meticulously crafted artist’s space in east London evokes the area’s long creative history
Maich Swift Architects’ artist’s space has radically reconfigured a Victorian terraced house, transforming it into a contemporary live/work interior
-
Welcome to Omved Gardens, north London’s hidden green oasis
This secret space in Highgate is relaunching as a vibrant community hub with new spaces, activities and exhibitions
-
This contemporary cabin cantilevers over a Scottish loch
Rock Cove, Cameron Webster Architects’ contemporary cabin in Argyll, Scotland, makes the most of its wild setting
-
Innovative coastal garden turns heads at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Landscape Designer Nigel Dunnett’s ‘Hospitalfield Arts Garden’ at Chelsea Flower Show 2025 has been making waves with its progressive approach to sustainable landscape and planting design
-
What to see at the London Festival of Architecture 2025
June is all about the London Festival of Architecture 2025; we browsed the over 450-event rich programme for its highlights, so you won't have to