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Clapton Tram Depot, one of the last surviving Victorian horse-drawn tram hubs in London, is set to be reborn as a creative hub.
A project by London-based property and investment company Gilini Group plans to refurbish the site, with room for 34 creative business units which will house furniture makers, photographers, manufacturers and artists. Designed by Yellow Cloud Studio, the refurb will also include outdoor space, including a public courtyard and an upper terrace, plus five family homes.
The depot currently has a BLOK gym and a stylish café-deli – both of which will stay in the new development. Gilini aims to maintain the features which have made the depot a local landmark, retaining the original shed structures, preserving the double-height industrial spaces, and bringing back tram-track detailing.
The Clapton Tram Depot was built in the 1870s for horse-drawn trams that hauled Londoners between Clapton and Aldgate/Moorgate. The horses were housed in stables on the first floor, while the ground floor was for tram tracks and carriage washing.
After the depot’s last horse-drawn tram left in 1907, the site has been reinvented several times. First it was a bus station, then a place for tradesmen including carpenters and mechanics. In the ’80s and ’90s it became a hub for artists living and working in studios, though tenants were displaced in 2014 to make way for a major redevelopment (which later stalled). Since 2008, campaigners have defeated two demolition proposals to replace the depot with flats and offices.
Commenting on the project, Gilini Group said: ‘When we acquired Clapton Tram Depot, we were acquiring something irreplaceable – a working creative ecosystem that has survived two decades of development pressure. Our commitment from the outset was that any scheme had to preserve what makes this place worth saving.
‘We want to demonstrate that heritage-led regeneration and genuine affordability aren’t in conflict with each other.’
Yellow Cloud Studio added: ‘Our approach was to design a scheme of modest scale, allowing the historic buildings to remain the dominant element, and to create an inviting new street-facing elevation with a redefined entrance.’
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