Underneath the Arches

London is a city criss-crossed with railways and beneath them, damp and dark tunnels. Creative and cultural entrepreneurs are recognising their potential.

In the past, these tunnels have been filled with small, light industry - like car mechanics or plumbers merchants. But a new wave of creative businesses, galleries, clubs and restaurants, see the tunnels as a chance burrow down.

 

Small spaces for small businesses

Tunnels like these have been used for nightclubs for years, like Corsica Studios in Elephant and Castle or Shunt at London Bridge. There are few residents to complain about the noise and they don’t need to invest in expensive repairs to make the brickwork look nice. A gritty, rough and ready club doesn’t mind a bit of graffiti and damp.

But the new trend is to use these tunnels as venues for boutique, bespoke creative businesses. In Clapham, the railway arches have been used for bars, hairdressers and print studios. In Bermondsey, Maltby Street is now home to baking, brewing and cheese aging. Out East, London Fields Brewery uses an old railway tunnel for its production and retail.

 

Big spaces for big events

And while these are mainly small businesses, some of our big arts organisations have caught on.

The Old Vic Tunnels sit underneath Waterloo Station - 88 million passengers pass through the station each year. Bought by the Old Vic Theatre (whose creative director is Kevin Spacey) they host new events in the old spaces beneath. The scale of the tunnels is huge - and so is the ambition of the theatre.

Currently on show, The Minotaur, an art, theatre and food mix. Michelin-starred chefs from across Europe are running a pop up restaurant, transforming the tunnels into a "labyrinthine gallery of cutting-edge artwork and film" as well as a lounge bar.

 

Nowhere else in London could a theatre have found a huge, interesting and cheap space like this. And this is the paradox of using railway tunnels - the most space is in the best locations. The further away from the stations you get, they are smaller and lower. Close to the stations, and you have deep and wider spaces. So in the suburbs they’re great for small shops and studios. In the centre, they are great for bigger, more dramatic events and refits.

In a cramped city, this trend has a great future. One thing is sure, we won’t run out of tunnels.