The proposed redevelopment of the Gillette site will help to establish and contribute to an expanding hub of media production activities.
Our proposals plan to breathe life back into this important and historical landmark.
Our proposals respond to an acute shortage of high-quality, virtual production, film studio, and digital content creation space. There is an estimated need for 2.3 million sq ft of new sound stage space across the UK by 2033, and with London and the Southeast being a particular focus for this need.
The appointed architect, Gensler, has developed proposals for a film studio campus on the site of the former Gillette factory, which sits as the western end of what was known as the Golden Mile. This provides a unique opportunity to build on the rich heritage of the site. The plans will secure a long-term use for the grade II listed buildings in a way that respects and revitalises the site and its surroundings.
Gensler is a global architecture and design firm with over 50 locations across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas. The firm has extensive experience in the design of film studios and heritage buildings.
What is being proposed
The intention is to develop the site into a state-of-the-art virtual production, film studios, and technology hub, with associated facilities specifically aims at digital content creation and production. This will include studio spaces, known as sound stages, along with production offices, workshops, and other supporting spaces.
The Gillette factory building is to be retained and refurbished into predominantly office and support spaces, ancillary to the proposed studios.
The other buildings on the site that hold heritage value, such as the Engineer’s House, the NatWest Bank, and the main part of the non-listed Campbells Building, would also be retained.
Other buildings would be retained where they can be refurbished to meet the requirements of the state-of-the-art virtual production, film and digital content creation studios. Other buildings that cannot feasibly be adapted would be demolished and replaced with new purpose-built sound stages.
External works will involve the repair and restoration of the building’s external envelope and architectural features where required.
