A radio studio with a pair of glowing eyes will open on the Greenwich Peninsula in April after winning approval from the council.
Loose FM, which describes itself as a “community station focused on eclectic, experimental, ecstatic sound and culture” with over 300 contributors, will move into a converted shipping container in the Design District, next to North Greenwich station.
The studio is designed by the architecture practice Caukin, which was behind the Skip House in Bermondsey, where an artist lived in a converted skip for a year. Public events and live shows are promised.
Caukin says the building will be signed with “wit and humour – where playfulness meets function”. Giant illuminated eyeballs will be able to pulse with the music while a service window beneath is designed to mirror the function of a mouth.
Greenwich Council has given permission for the studio to be there for two years. The Greenwich Wire reported on the plans in December.
The Design District opened in 2021 and is billed as “London’s only permanent, purpose-built workplace for the creative industries”. The Greenwich Peninsula developer, Knight Dragon, says it has over 1800 creative tenants and co-working members.
The Design District’s director, Laura Flanagan, said: ”Loose FM captures what Design District is all about – community and creativity. Independent radio stations across London have faced challenges to keep the mics on in recent years but provide an important platform for culture, conversation and connection.
“It’s our mission to keep the creative sector at the heart of the city and it is particularly rewarding to be able to house another kind of creative organisation at Design District, where we hope it will flourish.”
Loose FM’s founder, Mark Freeman, said: “Radio is such an important medium for creating a sense of connection and community. The move to Design District marks a big moment for everyone involved. Design District’s ethos, personality and vision aligns closely with our focus on giving emerging talent a platform to disrupt and innovate around culturally wide-ranging passions and interests. And Caukin’s design is the perfect representation of our joyful spirit and embrace of good times, which I think everyone needs right now”
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