Squire and Partners in Lambeth

[Gramsci]

Interview with Michael Squire of Squire and Partners.

Their is a note of desperation in this. The business model is pre covid. Its like in the video he is trying to sell the building as a great working place.

I note community free use has now gone. Which is something he was bigging up at the start.

WFH during pandemic means the kind of people he was thinking would flock to his workspace/ private members club might think WFH is viable option instead. Why be on his waiting list to join his exclusive members club or pay for a desk? With rules laid down by him? When WFH with a good Internet connection works just as well? And you don't have to follow his rules. Or pay for the privilege.

Coud be that that his business/ architectural model isn't going to work.

 

[Tron Cruise]

"We just loved its decay..."

"And we plucked Pure Vinyl out of Reliance Arcade. but could have got loads more money from the people " blah blah blah, PR bullshit, blah blah blah.


Fuck him and his exclusive, divisive, vetted, members-only rooftop bar.

the man who thought that hosting ‘an evening with the bass player from Dire Straits’ was ‘cool’.

 

[Tron Cruise]

Interview with Michael Squire of Squire and Partners.

The white saviour of Brixton.

 

[Tron Cruise]

The white saviour of Brixton.

This guy is delusion - ‘we didn’t want anything out of it’ - like building a private pub in a residential street you mean?

 

[Jimbeau]

Their is a note of desperation in this. The business model is pre covid. Its like in the video he is trying to sell the building as a great working place.

I note community free use has now gone. Which is something he was bigging up at the start.

WFH during pandemic means the kind of people he was thinking would flock to his workspace/ private members club might think WFH is viable option instead. Why be on his waiting list to join his exclusive members club or pay for a desk? With rules laid down by him? When WFH with a good Internet connection works just as well? And you don't have to follow his rules. Or pay for the privilege.

Coud be that that his business/ architectural model isn't going to work.

I've been to the Squires rooftop a few times. The nature of my work (stuff with non-profits in the arts and culture sectors) means that I often need to meet with freelancers and small creative businesses - many of whom are kitchen table operations or are based in co-working spaces and hence need somewhere for working meetings over coffee, etc. Brixton has a fair number of these, the Bon Marche Centre across the road being but one. For them it seems to serve a need, and I understand there are currently 2,000+ members.

I don't like the space very much - it's all a bit too shiny with bad acoustics - and I have no interest whatsoever in being a member, but the next Soho House or Groucho it most certainly is not. Much more like the lobby bar and business centre in a mid-range conference hotel.

I point this out not by way of endorsement, but to illustrate that its business model is evidently working.

 

[Rushy]

This guy is delusion - ‘we didn’t want anything out of it’ - like building a private pub in a residential street you mean?

I don't object to them like some do but that bit did make me raise an eyebrow. The choice of a cool record shop is clearly very deliberate. Obviously didn't choose a mobile repair shop, nail bar or the seamstress. I don't mind them curating the handful of units in their building but a bit embarrassing to pretend that they didn't want anything out of it.

 

[editor]

I've been to the Squires rooftop a few times. The nature of my work (stuff with non-profits in the arts and culture sectors) means that I often need to meet with freelancers and small creative businesses - many of whom are kitchen table operations or are based in co-working spaces and hence need somewhere for working meetings over coffee, etc. Brixton has a fair number of these, the Bon Marche Centre across the road being but one. For them it seems to serve a need, and I understand there are currently 2,000+ members.

I don't like the space very much - it's all a bit too shiny with bad acoustics - and I have no interest whatsoever in being a member, but the next Soho House or Groucho it most certainly is not. Much more like the lobby bar and business centre in a mid-range conference hotel.

I point this out not by way of endorsement, but to illustrate the that its business model is evidently working.

I loathe everything about it and their bullshit claims that it's for the 'local community.' Fuck them and fuck their elitist, carefully vetted £240 a year club. They contribute NOTHING to the Brixton community I care about.

Upstairs was opened to friends, family and the local community as a relaxed social space. And the word spread! Due to rapid demand Upstairs launched as a members club in November 2018. We also have Private Dining rooms available for hire to non-members, including an exquisite space beneath our glazed dome.

If you would like to apply please provide information which demonstrates your ability to make a positive contribution to the Upstairs community

Membership — Upstairs

upstairsbrixton.com

 

[Rushy]

I've been to the Squires rooftop a few times. The nature of my work (stuff with non-profits in the arts and culture sectors) means that I often need to meet with freelancers and small creative businesses - many of whom are kitchen table operations or are based in co-working spaces and hence need somewhere for working meetings over coffee, etc. Brixton has a fair number of these, the Bon Marche Centre across the road being but one. For them it seems to serve a need, and I understand there are currently 2,000+ members.

I don't like the space very much - it's all a bit too shiny with bad acoustics - and I have no interest whatsoever in being a member, but the next Soho House or Groucho it most certainly is not. Much more like the lobby bar and business centre in a mid-range conference hotel.

I point this out not by way of endorsement, but to illustrate that its business model is evidently working.

They told me that its not for business. Is the roof top even open to members in the day?

 

[editor]

I don't object to them like some do but that bit did make me raise an eyebrow. The choice of a cool record shop is clearly very deliberate. Obviously didn't choose a mobile repair shop, nail bar or the seamstress. I don't mind them curating the handful of units in their building but a bit embarrassing to pretend that they didn't want anything out of it.

They essentially bribed Pure Vinyl into the space to provide 'community' PR for themselves. But that's what you can do when you're fucking rich.

 

[editor]

They told me that its not for business. Is the roof top even open to members in the day?

Laptops are banned.

We are a social space and have a no laptop policy Upstairs.

 

[David Clapson]

What about a TV with the Tour de France on it?

 

[Jimbeau]

They told me that its not for business. Is the roof top even open to members in the day?

Laptops are banned.

I'm not the best sample here. I've been to meetings in one of their rooms - which was no doubt hired for the purpose, and sessions over coffee both in Canova Hall (which definitely does allow laptops) and on the roof at the end of the afternoon.

 

[Rushy]

I'm not the best sample here. I've been to meetings in one of their rooms - which was no doubt hired for the purpose, and sessions over coffee both in Canova Hall (which definitely does allow laptops) and on the roof at the end of the afternoon.

Yes. Canova has a hot desk subscription. I really wanted to like that place for weekday brunchy breakfast but was really unreliable. Have not been for ages.

 

[reubeness]

They essentially bribed Pure Vinyl into the space to provide 'community' PR for themselves. But that's what you can do when you're fucking rich.

I’d love to know what pure vinyl think about being ‘plucked’ from reliance arcade, “Gawd luv you sir for picking us up out of the gutter”

 

[BakeRecords]

Yes. Canova has a hot desk subscription. I really wanted to like that place for weekday brunchy breakfast but was really unreliable. Have not been for ages.

I walk past this place regularly, as I live close by. It is an absolute shitshow by 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. Probably a result of those bottomless brunches. Drunken louts spread out all over Stockwell Ave and cigarette butts everywhere.

 

[Gramsci]

I've been to the Squires rooftop a few times. The nature of my work (stuff with non-profits in the arts and culture sectors) means that I often need to meet with freelancers and small creative businesses - many of whom are kitchen table operations or are based in co-working spaces and hence need somewhere for working meetings over coffee, etc. Brixton has a fair number of these, the Bon Marche Centre across the road being but one. For them it seems to serve a need, and I understand there are currently 2,000+ members.

I don't like the space very much - it's all a bit too shiny with bad acoustics - and I have no interest whatsoever in being a member, but the next Soho House or Groucho it most certainly is not. Much more like the lobby bar and business centre in a mid-range conference hotel.

I point this out not by way of endorsement, but to illustrate that its business model is evidently working.

I was more referring to the new working space that Squires added to the buiding. Which is mentioned at beginning of the video.

This isn't just a go at Squires.

The Hondo application for office block was supported by Council officers who reckoned Savills report that post Covid office space need to be built was correct.

I'm working around the City and this doesn't seem right to me.

It may be post Covid that people are sick of WFH and desparate to get back to office. One issue being the blurring of work / not work by management. Heard from some WFH that they've been getting emails re work in evenings now they are WFH. In France you couldn't do this. But in this country big business is going to look at the opportunity to get more work out of people.

However some are finding that WFH means no long commute. One I know got stuck on Spanish island and happily worked from laptop for their City company during lockdown.

We Work in central London is fucked at the moment. People sharing hot desks and mingling just doesn't work when a virus is around. I've been to some We Work and they are basically empty.

I think long term people will mix WFH with being in the office. And their will be less need for office space in London.

Their will be need for meeting space. So on that his selective rooftop space may work.

 

[teuchter]

It's quite possible there will be an increased demand for rented desk space in more residential areas as opposed to city centre locations. People who have contracts where they go into a central office occasionally but otherwise can work from where they want, and they might not want (or have the space) to work from home but might do so from a rented desk that's close to their home. Maybe some companies will provide this as part of the deal - a desk space in a location of your choosing. We are yet to see what patterns emerge.

 

[Jimbeau]

It's quite possible there will be an increased demand for rented desk space in more residential areas as opposed to city centre locations. People who have contracts where they go into a central office occasionally but otherwise can work from where they want, and they might not want (or have the space) to work from home but might do so from a rented desk that's close to their home. Maybe some companies will provide this as part of the deal - a desk space in a location of your choosing. We are yet to see what patterns emerge.

This is a distinct possibility, in my view. Just the other day I was at a co-working space in Camberwell with a small organisation that had given up a dedicated office in Clerkenwell. The founders live out this way and decided a Central London office was no longer worth it.

It's been discussed at my place too - we're a few dozen people in one of those weird bits of Zone 1 that still manages to be 15 minutes' walk from the closest tube station. My colleagues live in Zone 2 and beyond or travel in by rail from well outside London, with another half hour by bus or tube from the station to the office. We have lots of young people in flat-shares who want for a decent place to work and who thrive on social contact, and the nature of our work is such that being together for collaborative sessions is important, but our clients are so far-flung that moving our base a few miles would have negligible impact. There are no longer enough coffee shops to sustain a world with a tenfold increase in laptop warriors.

I'm currently going in to Central London about once a week and am surprised how quiet many of the backstreets are still. I've spent more weekday lunchtimes in Brixton in the past 18 months than the previous 20 years, and many of my neighbours are the same. Some days it has felt busier than ever.

 

[Rushy]

This is a distinct possibility, in my view. Just the other day I was at a co-working space in Camberwell with a small organisation that had given up a dedicated office in Clerkenwell. The founders live out this way and decided a Central London office was no longer worth it.

It's been discussed at my place too - we're a few dozen people in one of those weird bits of Zone 1 that still manages to be 15 minutes' walk from the closest tube station. My colleagues live in Zone 2 and beyond or travel in by rail from well outside London, with another half hour by bus or tube from the station to the office. We have lots of young people in flat-shares who want for a decent place to work and who thrive on social contact, and the nature of our work is such that being together for collaborative sessions is important, but our clients are so far-flung that moving our base a few miles would have negligible impact. There are no longer enough coffee shops to sustain a world with a tenfold increase in laptop warriors.

I'm currently going in to Central London about once a week and am surprised how quiet many of the backstreets are still. I've spent more weekday lunchtimes in Brixton in the past 18 months than the previous 20 years, and many of my neighbours are the same. Some days it has felt busier than ever.

My partner's firm had offices of Bond Street with desk space for about 300 I think. They let most of the space go last summer and now have desk space for about one tenth of that plus some meeting rooms. So there is no going back - and they recently confirmed that is their intention. They are starting to look at smaller less central hubs, I believe.

One of the things that will need real thought with increased WFH is starting new trainees and grads.

 

[northeast]

This popped up on a news feed of mine... what caught my eye was the owners of the images, seems Squire and Partners are working on some mighty big homes

Chinese billionaire given green light to build £500million central London palace

Cheung Chung-kiu will convert 2–8a Rutland Gate in Knightsbridge into a vast 5,782 sq metre mansion, extending the property’s basement and adding a glazed dome “halo” roof. Property experts have said it could become Britain’s most expensive private home, worth some £500million when work is...

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[editor]

This popped up on a news feed of mine... what caught my eye was the owners of the images, seems Squire and Partners are working on some mighty big homes

Chinese billionaire given green light to build £500million central London palace

Cheung Chung-kiu will convert 2–8a Rutland Gate in Knightsbridge into a vast 5,782 sq metre mansion, extending the property’s basement and adding a glazed dome “halo” roof. Property experts have said it could become Britain’s most expensive private home, worth some £500million when work is...

uk.news.yahoo.com

They are architects to the super rich and the elite and for all their blather about community, they give precious little back to Brixton (unless there's some PR in it for them).

Look how they made sure they were fully credited for Pure Vinyl

Pure Vinyl • Architecture • Squire and Partners

squireandpartners.com

 

[BakeRecords]

I think it would be fair to say neighbours haven't yet been disturbed by 'Bellefields' since its opening (mostly because it is always dead, and in fairness, the soundproofing appears to be pretty effective).

That could be about to change with Henry Squire's application for outside seating on Stockwell Ave. They already have a courtyard out the back and very, very few customers, but apparently they need more outside space. I will be opposing this, as I really don't relish the prospect of braying hordes (like those outside the god awful Canova Hall) metres from my front window - any tips on how to get this rejected would be much appreciated.

 

[ricbake]

Comment logged

This major cycle route, is a partially pedestrianised cul-de-sac. It is already obstructed at it's narrowest point outside Canova Hall by their inconsiderately place tables; by an array of A boards and table outside "Brixton Mall". Also by the illegally parked cars of people working in Brixton Mall. There are numerous deliveries and collections to Blue Star House, Nandos Restaurant, the Fitness First Gym, Upstairs at the Department Store, Bellefields Restaurant, Canova Hall, Brixton Mall etc. These involve numerous vehicle movement which invariably either reverse into or out of the cul-de-sac very rarely with any supervision.
Space needs to be left for vehicle to turn into and drive out of the car park to Blue Star House, restrictions to the width of the roadway here would be unacceptable. The traffic needs some safe management on Stockwell Road and drivers using the space need to understand properly their duty of care when reversing. The parking and other street obstructions should be better policed before further pavement obstructions and street clutter are allowed.

 

[BakeRecords]

Comment logged

This major cycle route, is a partially pedestrianised cul-de-sac. It is already obstructed at it's narrowest point outside Canova Hall by their inconsiderately place tables; by an array of A boards and table outside "Brixton Mall". Also by the illegally parked cars of people working in Brixton Mall. There are numerous deliveries and collections to Blue Star House, Nandos Restaurant, the Fitness First Gym, Upstairs at the Department Store, Bellefields Restaurant, Canova Hall, Brixton Mall etc. These involve numerous vehicle movement which invariably either reverse into or out of the cul-de-sac very rarely with any supervision.
Space needs to be left for vehicle to turn into and drive out of the car park to Blue Star House, restrictions to the width of the roadway here would be unacceptable. The traffic needs some safe management on Stockwell Road and drivers using the space need to understand properly their duty of care when reversing. The parking and other street obstructions should be better policed before further pavement obstructions and street clutter are allowed.

Thanks ricbake. I've logged a similar comment. Remarkable that they think it's appropriate to have outside seating here until 0030 every night of the week. You're right about vehicular access on Stockwell Avenue... it has turned into an absolute farce over the past year or so.

If anyone wants to comment, you can do it here: Lambeth

 

[nick]

Cheeky Buggers.
I have no beef with Squire (through lack of knowledge on my behalf possibly), but there are cyclists whizzing along there at all hours so as to avoid the A24/Academy corner death trap.
There are also peds mixing with the bikes, which requires an enhanced level of courtesy from all. Adding drinks to the mix won't end well
Effectively narrowing the passage can't be good (as well as as effectively privatising it)

Comment made - (hope it was logged, that planning site has a dreadful UX, and doesn't seem to work in Safari for me).
Here is the link, for those that found it difficult to read from the photo above
Lambeth

 

[Gramsci]

I think it would be fair to say neighbours haven't yet been disturbed by 'Bellefields' since its opening (mostly because it is always dead, and in fairness, the soundproofing appears to be pretty effective).

That could be about to change with Henry Squire's application for outside seating on Stockwell Ave. They already have a courtyard out the back and very, very few customers, but apparently they need more outside space. I will be opposing this, as I really don't relish the prospect of braying hordes (like those outside the god awful Canova Hall) metres from my front window - any tips on how to get this rejected would be much appreciated.

Just make sure you put comment in opposing this however brief in time. Doesn't matter if its two lines.

This means you will get invite to the relevant committee hearing. Where Cllrs decide. This can work.

Speaking at Committee makes a big difference. Cllrs do listen to those who bother to turn up and speak.

Main issue for you is what is termed residential amenity. The potential extra noise and disturbance to nearby residential housing. Affecting your quality of life.

 

[BakeRecords]

Just make sure you put comment in opposing this however brief in time. Doesn't matter if its two lines.

This means you will get invite to the relevant committee hearing. Where Cllrs decide. This can work.

Speaking at Committee makes a big difference. Cllrs do listen to those who bother to turn up and speak.

Main issue for you is what is termed residential amenity. The potential extra noise and disturbance to nearby residential housing. Affecting your quality of life.

Thanks Gramsci! I submitted my comments, and I will certainly attend the committee hearing to make my feelings known.

 

[DietCokeGirl]

Any update on the outcome of this?

 

[BakeRecords]

Any update on the outcome of this?

Not yet - I've received nothing from Lambeth since submitting my comments on the application.

 

[ricbake]

Oh but they do care about an area with significant socio-economic challenges....

Coco Cripps
Gabriella Lafor