Yahoo News Printworks developers submit plan to re-open venue by 2026
Famed London club Printworks could re-open by 2026 after redevelopment plans were submitted by owners to Southwark Council.
The south London venue shut its doors in 2022 after plans were submitted to turn the space into offices.
Now, British Land, the property developer owners of the site, have submitted a proposal to the council today (February 12) along with partner AustralianSuper, to turn the site into a permanent music venue.
As The Guardian report, the deal – if successful – would see the developers team up with former Printworks operators Broadwick Live to retain half of the Printworks site as a venue, while the other half would become offices and shops as previously planned.
British Land’s Emma Cariaga said: “What appeals to us about it is that it’s creating a new piece of city and a new district for London.
“We intend to create a permanent cultural venue and put it on the map globally. Over the last six years, Printworks has become an iconic venue for electronic music and one of the top five clubs in the world. But our plans seek to push that to deliver a much broader programme.”
When announcing the closure in 2022, councillors reportedly cited the success of the venue since its 2017 opening in their planning recommendation, but also noted that the former newspaper printing plant was only ever meant to be a temporary nightclub until a redevelopment plan materialised.
“It is noted that a significant number of objections have been received in respect of the loss of the club/music venue currently operating on the site. It is acknowledged that this use has been very successful,” they said.
“However, the events use was initiated as a short term interim (meanwhile) use in 2016 pending development of the building within the masterplan. It was never intended to be a permanent use of the site.”
Writing for Rolling Stone UK in 2023, Joe Goggins argued that the closure of Printworks, as well as the enforced shuttering of Brixton Academy, proved that the threat to UK nightlife extends beyond small venues.
He wrote: “When neither heritage venues like Brixton nor cutting-edge newer ones like Printworks can be assured of their future, and those among the grassroots are set for their most torrid year in recent memory, the UK has never been at greater risk of cultural homogenisation.”
