North Woolwich Station: Cultural and ecological regeneration of a decommissioned Grade II station into a creative makers hub

Root and Erect were invited by CREATE London to respond to the challenge of reactivating the decommissioned North Woolwich Station as a vibrant cultural, educational, and social focal point. The project centres on revitalising the Grade II listed Station Building and its surroundings to foster creative production, learning, and community engagement. A core objective is improving local connectivity by creating a green corridor linking Victoria Gardens and St John’s Green, enhancing the area’s green infrastructure. The design incorporates a closed-loop ecological system that transforms organic waste into energy, gas, and fertile soil, underpinning the project’s commitment to sustainability and circular economy principles. Collaboration with Open School East ensures education, knowledge transfer, and skills development remain central, positioning the site as a dynamic, ongoing learning environment for artists and the wider community alike.

The proposal comprises three principal zones: The Station House, The Platforms, and The Ecology Area. The Workshop House, sited on the 1980s station footprint, and a cluster of Self-build Studios create a bustling creative hub at the south-eastern end, facilitating artistic production. The triangular Makers’ Yard reinstates the station forecourt as a civic gathering space, framed by the historic station façade and new workshop buildings, and serves as a versatile outdoor workshop and event area. Building on wild ecosystems thriving along the disused tracks, the ecology area integrates urban food growing, composting, and energy generation via an anaerobic digester. This productive landscape extends westward to support a cooperative sustainable food producer, reinforcing the project’s ambition to weave ecological regeneration, social activity, and cultural production into the fabric of North Woolwich.