Gabriel’s Wharf

Before

After

About

In 1988 an interim use was needed for 20,000 square feet of empty Thames-side space, that would pay for itself in four years. Within three months USM transformed a blank factory wall with a spectacular mural of a Georgian shopping street, as the backdrop to a community of retail workshops, attractive stalls and riverside restaurants, enlivened by arts events and regular promotion. The mix of off-beat activity and local designer makers complemented the site’s South Bank location to create a unique visitor attraction, and the “temporary” solution was so successful that it still flourishes as a favourite destination two decades later.

Key Facts

Project dates 1988 - 1992
Uses Market, restaurant, cafés, Performance Space, retail workshops
Area 20,000sq.ft
Jobs created 60
Investment £78,000 (USM)
Major initial tenants Gourmet Pizza Company, Studio 6
Highlights Thames Day, London Cajun Festival, Vintage Citroen Owners Club, Visit by HRH Queen Elizabeth II

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