LONDON — In an era where London’s industrial geography faces aggressive commercial redevelopment and skyrocketing land values, the renowned art, architecture, and design collective Assemble has announced its most ambitious workspace venture to date. The Turner Prize-winning studio has secured a 25-year lease—complete with an option to purchase—on Bromley Hall, a historically layered early Tudor-period manor house widely recognized as one of the oldest standing domestic structures in the British capital.
Spanning three distinct buildings—the medieval Bromley Hall (c. 1485), the Old Poplar Library (c. 1904–1905), and the contemporary RedBox container structure—the project will immediately inject 14,000 square feet of affordable creative and light industrial floor space into East London. Ultimately, through a phased master plan, the practice aims to double this footprint.
This major cultural intervention arrives as municipal warnings highlight a looming crisis for London’s maker economy: current projections indicate the capital is on track to lose a staggering 30% of its remaining industrial floor space by 2041. By pairing sensitive historic preservation with community-anchored management, Assemble’s intervention at Bromley Hall seeks to build a resilient, long-term sanctuary for the capital’s beleaguered creative and light industrial industries.
Main Facts: The Bromley Hall Vision
At its core, the Bromley Hall project is structured around a dual objective: rescuing an architectural gem bearing a Grade II* heritage listing and providing long-term economic security and physical infrastructure for London’s independent makers.
The site, situated on Brunswick Road in Poplar, brings together three architectural eras under a unified operational model managed by Assemble Workspace, the collective’s specialized workspace-provision branch.
Bromley Hall (c. 1485): The historic core of the site, featuring remarkable period interiors such as the Blount Room, which will be partially adapted for shared communal use, meetings, and public programming.
The Old Poplar Library (c. 1904–1905): An Edwardian civic building designated for integration into the broader creative campus, expanding the spatial diversity available to tenants.
The RedBox Building: A modern container structure that rounds out the campus typology, offering flexible industrial volumes.
Unlike traditional commercial co-working spaces geared toward tech startups or corporate desk jockeys, Assemble’s spaces are intentionally designed to accommodate "loud, messy, and experimental practices." Past and current tenant ecosystems across Assemble’s portfolio—which includes Brixton’s Fabric Floor, Leaside Yard in Bromley-by-Bow, and the seminal Sugarhouse Studios in Stratford—house an eclectic mix of artisans. These range from community sauna fabricators and aluminum furniture designers to wholesale suppliers of locally sourced urban agriculture and rehabilitative record labels.
By taking on the roles of designer, developer, landlord, and community facilitator, Assemble eliminates speculative rental volatility, offering makers the stability needed to invest in long-term craft and collaborative ventures.
Chronology: A Multi-Decadal Evolution and Phased Development
The narrative of Bromley Hall is inextricably linked to the sweeping currents of English history, while Assemble’s roadmap for the site is mapped across a methodical, three-phase timeline stretching well into the next decade.
A Layered Historical Continuum
Bromley Hall’s origins trace as far back as c. 1255. Across more than seven centuries, the site has witnessed a staggering array of civic incarnations. Operating initially as a medieval manor, it has served down through the centuries as:
A rumored residence for Henry VIII’s mistress
A royal hunting lodge
A Civil War gunpowder factory
A prosperous merchant’s retreat
19th-century missionary headquarters
A pediatric hospital
A calico printing and textile works
This deep sedimentary history of adaptation makes the site a natural fit for Assemble, a practice whose portfolio is defined by adaptive reuse. Their past interventions include the 2018 transformation of a Grade II-listed Victorian bathhouse into the Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, and ongoing retrofits of historic residential and civic architecture across the UK.
The Three-Phase Master Plan
To bring Bromley Hall safely into the 21st century without compromising its historic fabric, Assemble has divided the project into three distinct chronological phases:
Phase 1: Seed & Prove (2026–2029)
The initial phase focuses on arrival and concept validation. Assemble and an initial cohort of tenant makers will move onto the site while foundational capital works get underway. This period prioritizes the restoration of critical communal spaces, specifically the Blount Room and a shared communal kitchen. Concurrently, a targeted fundraising campaign will be launched to solidify financial pathways toward exercising the option to purchase the freehold.
Phase 2: Acquire & Expand (2029–2032)
Contingent on successful fundraising, this phase marks the formal acquisition of the site. Heavy capital works will commence, including the construction of a new architectural link building adjacent to Bromley Hall and the comprehensive structural development of the expanded workspace facilities.
Phase 3: Mature & Open (2032 and Beyond)
By the early 2030s, the development is slated for completion. The site will reach full tenancy capacity, operating at critical mass. At this stage, the campus will open its doors to a permanent, extended public program featuring regular exhibitions, vocational workshops, and public symposia centered on craft, heritage, and urban making.
Supporting Data: The Shrinking Industrial Footprint of London
The urgency driving Assemble’s venture into Bromley Hall is underpinned by alarming municipal and economic data regarding London’s commercial real estate market.
According to planning data cited by Assemble, London faces the imminent loss of nearly a third of its industrial floor space by 2041. Driven by the aggressive conversion of light industrial zones into residential high-rises and high-end office parks, this spatial contraction disproportionately harms sectors that require physical space—potters, metalworkers, carpenters, textile artists, and experimental fabricators.
Metric / Indicator
Data Point / Projection
Contextual Implication
Projected Industrial Loss
30% reduction by 2041
Extreme scarcity of affordable workshops, forcing makers out of the capital.
Initial Footprint (Bromley Hall)
14,000 sq ft
Immediate injection of maker space across three heritage and industrial buildings.
Future Footprint Target
~28,000 sq ft (Double initial)
Long-term master plan capacity upon completion of Phase 2 and 3 capital works.
Lease Structure
25-Year Lease with Purchase Option
Long-term security insulation against market speculation and steep rent hikes.
Public Capacity
Up to 30 people per bookable room
Community access via the Blount Room and ground-floor heritage spaces at subsidized rates.
Tenant testimonials underscore the viability of Assemble’s operational model. A representative from Workshop East CIC, an existing tenant organization within the collective’s network, noted that the infrastructure provided by Assemble does more than just supply four walls; it creates an incubatory ecosystem. By coupling high-specification physical facilities with administrative support and shared commissions, the model shields independent artisans from the predatory economics of London’s open commercial leasing market.
Official Responses: Voices from the Collective
The acquisition of Bromley Hall represents a synthesis of Assemble’s foundational ethos: blending rigorous architectural intervention with social equity, grassroots organization, and active cultural stewardship.
Mathew Leung, co-founder and director at Assemble, emphasized the symbolic and practical weight of taking on such a historically complex site:
"Bromley Hall brings together many strands that we care about, from resourceful reuse and retrofit of buildings, to supporting the creative economy and collaborative practice within the city and seeking imaginative opportunities for public access and benefit," Leung stated.
He added: "The site’s challenging context is what makes it a perfect opportunity for Assemble: we specialise in finding new life for overlooked spaces and delivering lasting cultural, social, and economic value. We’re excited about the prospect of putting down roots in the local area, working in residence and being the long-term stewards of the site. We’re looking forward to creating and managing a unique creative workspace with a critical mass of makers which can support sustained public access to heritage and programming on site."
In alignment with this vision, Assemble is actively cultivating a coalition of project partners, welcoming inquiries from prospective workspace tenants, construction and conservation collaborators, as well as mission-aligned impact investors and funding bodies.
Wider Implications: Cultural Preservation and Urban Fabric in London
The transformation of Bromley Hall does not occur in a vacuum; it is part of a broader, rapidly accelerating wave of major heritage-led cultural regeneration projects reshaping London’s urban landscape in 2026.
The announcement coincides with several landmark civic unveilings across the city:
The London Museum Relocation: Set to officially open its doors on November 28, 2026, the museum is completing its high-profile move into Smithfield’s meticulously restored historic General Market.
Olympia’s Cultural Transformation: West London has recently celebrated the opening of the initial phase of Olympia’s massive redevelopment, masterminded by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC to turn the historic exhibition complex into an integrated cultural and entertainment district.
Ephemeral Architecture: The architectural community continues to engage with temporary urban interventions, underscored by the summer opening of the 25th Serpentine Pavilion, designed by LANZA Atelier.
While projects like Smithfield and Olympia represent monumental investments in institutional culture and entertainment, Assemble’s approach at Bromley Hall targets a different, equally vital urban constituency: the grassroots producer.
By embedding contemporary makers within the physical remnants of a 15th-century manor house, Assemble is challenging conventional real estate hierarchies. The project demonstrates that historic preservation need not result in sterile museum pieces or exclusive private enclosures. Instead, through imaginative stewardship, neglected heritage can be directly leveraged to secure the economic survival of the city’s working-class and independent creative communities—ensuring that London remains a city not just of consumers, but of makers.
