Since opening in May 2015 Pop Brixton has fast become a thriving destination for new business, affordable workspaces, innovation and community schemes and food and drink and retail outlets. Lambeth Council, working with the Brixton Market Traders’ Federation, wanted to create a place that employed local people whilst adding to buzz around Brixton.
With Brixton already established as a go to place in London, Pop Brixton is set to build on this success and create a new destination in the heart of Brixton. There is plenty to choose from, including the renowned Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen taking up her first permanent residency offering authentic Ghanaian dishes, through to Duck Duck Goose bringing their Hong Kong inspired affordable dishes and Baba G’s serving up an Indian and British food fusion. As well as the mouth-watering food and drink vendors, Pop Brixton boasts a diverse selection of independent retail outlets. From vintage clothing sellers Make Do & Mend through to Japanese knife shop, Kataba, Pop provides a unique shopping hub full of hidden gems. Office and workspace is home to local businesses with the Impact Hub Brixton providing affordable co-working space for start-ups, allowing enterprise and innovation to flourish. There are ten affordable units that are often updated as start ups move to other units or larger premises, you can see what’s available here.
Pop Brixton is a place that has came to life through the talents of many local people. Tenants have committed to a community investment scheme, which will involve skill sharing with other tenants and the local community, including through a purpose built training space. The scheme will be run by the Brixton Pound and Pop together and you can read more about the scheme here.
Pop Brixton also has a Steering Group made up of local people who represent a number of local community organisations, you can read more about this here.
Other initiatives include Pop Farm – a garden and greenhouse area planted by the local community – through to local artist exhibitions, workshops and an event space, Pop Box, with local and community rates. The 200 capacity venue runs and hosts a wide range of events, gigs, screenings and local events curated by local people. To book the space click here.
In April 2014 architect Carl Turner partnered with landscape architects & urban designers, The Edible Bus Stop (EBS) and together they won a council run competition to develop the site. The structure of the original team has now changed and as a result the EBS has withdrawn from the project.
Going forward the scheme, formally known as Grow:Brixton, will be called POP Brixton - you can read the full statement in our 4 December blog post here.
POP Brixton, which will make its home on Pope’s Road until at least October 2017, includes workshops and retail units at affordable prices. Shipping containers will be used to create the units for rent and there will be a covered space for community events such as cinema, theatre and music. It will also focus on training local people and creating jobs.
A temporary car park for public use, as well as additional market trader spaces.
The project was granted planning permission in September 2014 and you can read the Design and Access Statement from the planning application.
Construction work started in December 2014 on the meanwhile site at Pope’s Rd with Pop Brixton opening on May 29th.
The full FAQs are available to read.
