Common Ground Workshop Wins Planning Approval for Restoration of an Artist’s Warehouse in Clapham

Common Ground Workshop is delighted to have received unanimous approval from both the local authority and local conservation body for our art gallery refurbishment project near to Clapham Common.

The new gallery facility will serve as a workshop for the client and also provide open work-space for local artists, enlivening the local community in an area which has a rich history of artisanal and craft based manufacturing; It is envisioned that the space will be a local incubator and a centre for philanthropy and community development. The space will act as a chameleon, shape shifting from gallery to studio with the introduction of mobile walls and ‘cabinets of curiosities’ offering both storage for artists and valuable wall space to display the art.

At the heart of the project’s conservation philosophy is a focus on sustainability whereby materials salvaged from the demolition will be reintroduced to the new build elements. The proposal celebrates the rich history of the existing warehouse as a building set within a garden landscape, and provides a retrofit proposal that seeks to carefully carve out and reconnect the internal space with the abundant daylight and surrounding landscape context.

Development is planned to go ahead on The Clapham Common Art Gallery in early 2020 with an expected completion date around Summer this year.