{"id":1065648,"date":"2026-07-03T09:56:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T09:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1065648\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T09:56:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T09:56:14","slug":"witherford-watson-mann-to-revamp-deptford-arts-centre-and-add-student-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1065648\/","title":{"rendered":"Witherford Watson Mann to revamp Deptford arts centre and add student homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 21-strong Hackney-based practice<\/a> has teamed up with developer Stories<\/a> and funder Aviva Capital Partners for the project to upgrade the\u00a0Howell Killick Partridge & Amis-designed arts centre.<\/p>\n

The Albany, which was rebuilt after a fire in the late 1970s and reopened by Princess Diana in 1982, has hosted performers such as Lenny Henry, Whoopi Goldberg and Jessie Ware over the past four and a half decades.<\/p>\n

But it now requires investment to keep it affordable, accessible and fit for future generations.<\/p>\n

Public consultation will begin later this month with a programme of drop-in sessions, workshops and online engagement to feed into design priorities and help guide the transformation project.<\/p>\n

The Albany said upgrades to the building would be supported by the creation of homes on the site for local arts students, in partnership with education provider Trinity Laban.<\/p>\n

\u2018These homes would be designed to support the long-term sustainability of the arts centre, while helping to reduce pressure on existing local housing,\u2019 it added.<\/p>\n

\u2018Investment generated through the proposed student homes will be reinvested directly into the Albany building itself, to improve access, upgrade facilities, reduce the building\u2019s carbon footprint and create more flexible, reliable spaces for community use.\u2019<\/p>\n

Albany co-chief executive Mimi Findlay described the arts centre as \u2018built for and by the people of Deptford\u2019.<\/p>\n

She added: \u2018The Albany doesn\u2019t reach into diverse communities from the outside \u2014 it grows from them.<\/p>\n

\u2018This project is about protecting a place that is truly made from Deptford \u2014 renewing the building so it continues to reflect the people who use it, work in it and shape its future.<\/p>\n

\u2018If we don\u2019t act now, we risk further deterioration of vital spaces that support creativity, connection and opportunity across the borough.\u2019<\/p>\n

Stories chief executive Richard Meier described the Albany as \u2018an extraordinary institution with a unique place in the heart of Deptford\u2019.<\/p>\n

He added: \u2018Stories is excited to be partnering with the team on a proposal that protects what makes the Albany so special, unlocks investment for its future and helps ensure it continues to flourish for generations to come.\u2019<\/p>\n

Witherford Watson Mann won the 2025 Stirling Prize with Appleby Blue Almshouse, a residential complex for the over-65s in south London, which the judges described as \u2018a clarion call for a new form of housing at a pivotal moment\u2019.<\/p>\n

It also claimed British architecture\u2019s top gong 12 years earlier for its revamp of 12th-century Astley Castle in Warwickshire.<\/p>\n

The practice recently won a contest<\/a> to design accommodation in Buckinghamshire for former members of the armed forces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 21-strong Hackney-based practice has teamed up with developer Stories and funder Aviva Capital Partners for the project…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1065649,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3939],"tags":[4021,4020,292344,194526,4022,77,71915,16,15,292345],"class_list":["post-1065648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-arts-centre","tag-deptford","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-student-housing","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-witherford-watson-mann"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116855451604081099","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1065648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1065648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1065648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1065649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1065648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1065648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1065648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}