Strongroom Studios in Shoreditch, London have launched a campaign to protect their studio complex after it has been left under threat by a nearby office development.
The project to redevelop a small warehouse space into a six-storey office block next to the studio is projected to last 18+ months and will drastically affect Strongroom's ability to operate.
Bosses at Strongrooms say noise, dust and debris from the construction project will make the studio completely unusable and will the put it out of business due to a shared adjoining wall between the two spaces.
As a studio that offers mixing services alongside recording sessions, a controlled audio environment is essential for engineers to work, but bosses say vibrations through the walls and sounds from the construction project will disrupt sessions.
The project will also impact the communal courtyard outside the premises by shadowing the area that caters for a large number of people visiting the Strongroom Bar for gigs and events.
As a cultural hub for creative industries in the city and one of the last active recording Studios in London, patrons of the venue are outraged by development plans that risk closing it down.
In a recent interview, co-founder of Strongroom Richard Boote, said: ‘The area of Shoreditch has become almost unrecognisable; when I started Strongroom in 1984, there was plenty of space and costs were low, as a result, a fantastic and influential community grew here.’
‘We have been a part of the industry and a part of the area for over 30 years and have watched it change over time. Now we are fighting to protect our livelihood. There is a genuine danger that even more artists will be priced out of this area, which would be a heart-breaking end to what Shoreditch once was.’
A petition has formed and is set to be delivered to Hackney Council, Hackney MP Diane Abbot and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in an attempt to block construction of the office block.
Over 4,000 people have now signed the petition.
The project to redevelop a small warehouse space into a six-storey office block next to the studio is projected to last 18+ months and will drastically affect Strongroom's ability to operate.
Bosses at Strongrooms say noise, dust and debris from the construction project will make the studio completely unusable and will the put it out of business due to a shared adjoining wall between the two spaces.
As a studio that offers mixing services alongside recording sessions, a controlled audio environment is essential for engineers to work, but bosses say vibrations through the walls and sounds from the construction project will disrupt sessions.
The project will also impact the communal courtyard outside the premises by shadowing the area that caters for a large number of people visiting the Strongroom Bar for gigs and events.
As a cultural hub for creative industries in the city and one of the last active recording Studios in London, patrons of the venue are outraged by development plans that risk closing it down.
In a recent interview, co-founder of Strongroom Richard Boote, said: ‘The area of Shoreditch has become almost unrecognisable; when I started Strongroom in 1984, there was plenty of space and costs were low, as a result, a fantastic and influential community grew here.’
‘We have been a part of the industry and a part of the area for over 30 years and have watched it change over time. Now we are fighting to protect our livelihood. There is a genuine danger that even more artists will be priced out of this area, which would be a heart-breaking end to what Shoreditch once was.’
A petition has formed and is set to be delivered to Hackney Council, Hackney MP Diane Abbot and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in an attempt to block construction of the office block.
Over 4,000 people have now signed the petition.
