These spaces create an ecosystem that allows creatives to expand on the momentum of their practice by choosing private or public-facing studios, depending on their needs, and by taking over the Triangle Pop-Up to host exhibitions or sell.
Tucked away in a residential pocket of Westminster sits Arbeit Studios – Lisson Grove, a mixed-use creative workspace, coworking and gallery hub, which opened its doors in February 2026 to support the creative industries as part of Westminster City Council’s plan for a fairer economy. The site is the second initiative in partnership with WCC to provide long-term, affordable workspace linked to skills, employment and community activity in the region.
We are pleased to see another ground floor converted into creative workspaces, accommodating multiple art forms, spaces for artists and creative businesses at different stages of their journeys, from street-facing studios, for those wanting to interact with the public to self-contained, internal, private studios, and even an open plan coworking space.
In addition to these areas, purpose-built spaces include a gallery/events space (the recently launched Arbeit Galleries – Lisson Grove), a dance/rehearsal studio and a café (earmarked for opening in August), spread out across five split-level floors. Beyond the studios themselves, the hub has kicked off a programme of workshops, exhibitions and public events, opening routes into creative work for local residents, young people and career-changers alike. The project was designed by Brown Urbanism and delivered by Bonnd contractors.
On entry, we are greeted by a reception area, high ceilings and concrete walls, which lead to a corridor of studios behind peach-coloured doors, occupied by artists and creatives. We had the time to speak with Charlotte, the artist behind the Charlotte Campbell Collection, whose performing arts background was wholly evident in her work – dramatic handmade lampshades that resembled grand stage costumes and vintage shapes, stacked high, decorating the street-facing wall, as she sat at a large worktable which held her latest creation. She highlighted how having the space has meant that she can get on with commissions in an open space that accommodates her materials and grows her business. Along the corridor we bumped into a fine artist, a newer tenant who was setting up her studio, before ending our tour with an innovative cobbler giving new life to old trainers – the shoe mender and designer from Renew Renew Sneaks, who shared the growth of her organisation and how having a street-facing studio added to her practice.
If you want to visit the space by yourself, Arbeit Studios – Lisson Grove is taking part in Open House Festival 2026, the annual London-wide celebration of architecture and the built environment, in September. Brown Urbanism will lead guided tours of the building, sharing insights into the design approach and the transformation of the space while giving visitors the opportunity to explore the studios, gallery and coworking areas. Places are limited and you can book your spot from 18 August.
Over the years, Arbeit Studios has created an ecosystem for artists. Founded in Hackney Wick in 2010, they have spent over sixteen years taking empty spaces, from small 750 sq ft buildings to vast warehouses, and transforming them into places where artists, designers and makers can actually work uninterrupted. What makes Arbeit Studios – Lisson Grove significant is that it marks a shift in that model: rather than meanwhile or temporary tenancies, this is permanent, council-backed space giving long-term security that protects creative work, the mission, we at Creative Land Trust share, building permanence into our cultural infrastructure.
Following the tour, we walked out to Church Street Market, a stone’s throw away, where we saw the other on-street spaces also managed by Arbeit Studios. These include Triangle Studios, a collection of 11 micro-retail units, and Triangle Pop-Up, a flexible shop that hosts exhibitions and pop-up stores. Available to artists, creative businesses and the local community, Triangle Pop-Up sits in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a busy market, with opportunities for the public to pop in.
Together, these spaces create an ecosystem that allows creatives to expand on the momentum of their practice by choosing private or public-facing studios, depending on their needs, and by taking over the Triangle Pop-Up to host exhibitions or sell their work when they are ready.
This artists co-existence produces creative collaborations, and allows for public-facing moments and community engagement. At the market, we entered the studio of Vanessa, founder of Mama’s Bricks, a design studio that works at the intersection of ceramics and architecture. She gave us a glimpse of her work, live, as she brought in her lived experience to produce stunning bricks that tackle the hotter climate we are facing in London through their light design and material choices.
Although the high street spaces were and whilst meanwhile spaces have helped hundreds of artists to continue their work and create moments of collaboration and recognition, the biggest win is having a permanent workspace that will exist for years to come supporting this and future generations to create new work and share it within their neighbourhoods and with the wider public.
