The Roundhouse was built in 1847 and is a circular building that once contained a train turntable, but was only used for railway purposes for about a decade, storing and maintaining goods engines near London’s first rail terminal at Euston. The building was abandoned just before World War II. In 1960, it became Centre 42, an arts and culture hub launched by the playwright Arnold Wesker. This large circular structure has hosted notable events, such as the launch of the International Times newspaper in 1966, the only performance of The Doors in the United Kingdom in 1968, and the Greasy Truckers party in 1972.
In the 1970s and early 80s, the Roundhouse featured experimental theatre, rock gigs, rock musicals, and punk bands. But funding issues led to its closure in 1983. The building was unused and virtually derelict for 13 years.
It reopened as a performing arts venue in 1996, before closing again in 2004 for a two-year redevelopment. Apple Music Festival events have also been held here since 2007.
Roundhouse Works by Reed Watts Architects + Paddy Dillon. Photograph by Fred Haworth.
Roundhouse Works by Reed Watts Architects + Paddy Dillon. Photograph by Fred Haworth.
Project description by Reed Watts Architects + Paddy Dillon
Architects Paddy Dillon, with Reed Watts Architects, have completed Roundhouse Works, a new creative center for young people at the heart of Roundhouse’s creative campus in Camden, London.
Roundhouse Works provides space and state-of-the-art facilities to support young people to turn their creativity into a career, doubling the number of 11–30-year-olds the Roundhouse currently works with each year to 15,000. The new building houses a bespoke large music studio, a triple-height studio for circus and performance, a large multi-use studio for workshops, and a dedicated podcast studio run by Transmission Roundhouse.
The new building will also include the Inflexion Workspace, an affordable workspace for creative entrepreneurs and freelancers. Members of Roundhouse Works will be provided with one-to-one mentorship with industry experts and have access to a series of networking events and workshops that have been piloted over the past three years with partners including international law firm Taylor Wessing.
Roundhouse Works is designed by Paddy Dillon architect, with Reed Watts Architects, and Allies and Morrison with particular emphasis on reducing the building's impact on the environment. In particular, the sustainably sourced trees used for the cross-laminated timber structure sequester over 250 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere while the recycled railway sleepers used on the facade save 8 tonnes of CO2 compared to other forms of cladding.
Roundhouse Works by Reed Watts Architects + Paddy Dillon. Photograph by Fred Haworth.
Roundhouse Works by Reed Watts Architects + Paddy Dillon. Photograph by Fred Haworth.
As a result, and following the integration of solar panels on the roofs, electric vehicle charging points, LED lighting, automatic lighting controls, and other energy efficiency elements, Roundhouse Works has achieved the highly sought-after BREEAM 'Excellent' sustainability accreditation. This will put its environmental performance in the top 10 percent of all new non-domestic buildings in the UK. It is also fully accessible and includes a Space for Change facility.
Roundhouse Works has been funded by private trusts, individuals, and corporate donations with principal support from the Inflexion Foundation and Simon Turner with the generous donation of the land from the Norman Trust.
