Case Study
Folly for a Flyover

Assemble was commissioned by Create London arts agency to transform a gloomy underpass in Hackney Wick, East London, into a temporary public space. The practice came up with a future for the spot by re-imagining its past, as a house that had become trapped between the roaring lanes traffic. The sides of the house were constructed of wooden bricks sawn from railway sleepers and hung over a scaffolding frame.

Built by an army of 200 volunteers, for nine weeks it was a theatrical setting for films, talks and play sessions hosted by the Create Festival, the Barbican Art Gallery and local organisations and businesses.

The gloomy underpass is given a new lease of life. Photo Credit: David Vintiner

Says Assemble's Anthony Engi Meacock: 'The drama of the space and the huge concrete coffers of the roadway were part of the whole spectacle.'

When the event was over, the wooden bricks were reused as planters for local primary schools. But the London Legacy Development Corporation invested in providing a permanent infrastructure - decking and power points - so that the site can continue as an events and cultural space.

Client Create London
Architect Assemble
Schedule Completed 2011
Cost £40,000

Case Study
Theatre on the Fly

Chichester Festival Theatre commissioned Assemble to create a temporary open-air space in parkland beside its existing theatre for its 50th anniversary, providing a platform for younger directors to put on new work. essentially, Assemble provided a traditional barn structure - albeit one constructed of scaffolding frame - but the clever touch was the exposed fly tower to the rear, which means the back doors can be opened to create another stage on to the park. in this way both indoor and outdoor spectacles could be accommodated.

A temporary performance space was created for the Chichester Festival Theatre. Photo Credit: Jim Stephenson

With typical ingenuity, Assemble sourced a geotextile pond-liner underlay to provide a semi-translucent coating for the scaffolding. The genius of this material is that it provides free daylight during the day and, at night, when a performance is on, the whole building is lit from within. The theatre was constructed with the help of hundreds of local volunteers, and lasted for nine weeks.

Client Chichester Festival Theatre
Architects Assemble
Schedule Completed 2012
Cost £30,000