New permanent cultural and office vision for London’s ‘world-famous’ Printworks

British Land and AustralianSuper have submitted a reserved matters planning application to reinstate a permanent cultural venue at the Printworks building within its Canada Water development.

Through a six-year temporary consent, Printworks London, managed by pioneering electronic music and arts operator Broadwick, evolved into one of the world’s best-known cultural venues before closing its doors to the public this summer. British Land and AustralianSuper are in exclusive talks with Broadwick to operate the new venue. 

Since opening in 2017, Printworks saw more than 2.5 million visitors, 300 music concerts, 200 film shoots, and hosted hundreds more cultural moments at the site, cementing its place in UK cultural history.

With the new application, British Land and AustralianSuper aim to deliver a highly flexible leisure and cultural destination within the Canada Water Masterplan that expands on the success of the meanwhile use venue, with a programme that both intensifies and diversifies the mix of cultural experiences. 

This new “world-class” permanent venue will occupy one half of the existing building, while the other half will deliver next generation sustainable workspace and retail, known as The Grand Press. The designs, led by architects Hawkins\Brown, seek to maintain the building’s volume and character while creating a highly sustainable and modern cultural venue. 

Once home to the largest printing factory in western Europe known as Harmsworth Quays, the original aesthetics and printing presses have been preserved to create a stunning, industrial environment, all overlooking a new 3.5-acre park just a short distance from the River Thames and historic docks.

There are four key new cultural spaces planned at the new Printworks, which is scheduled to reopen in 2026: 

• Printworks’ world-renowned Press Halls will be retained. The iconic space that has become globally synonymous with the Printworks brand will be kept with the Press Halls remaining the focal point of the Printworks’ programme. Live music events, concerts, immersive art exhibitions and corporate events of similar capacity will be hosted here
• A brand-new rooftop leisure and cultural space. This new state-of-the-art event space, complete with soaring views of London, will provide a unique space for performance, rehearsals, product launches or curated talks
• The Inkwells: A performance space dedicated to immersive exhibitions, multi-disciplinary art shows and more intimate music events 
• A series of new suites with views of the Press Halls. These will offer versatile spaces for meetings, conferences, events, and corporate hospitality.

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