Hayloft Point
Development and implementation of the interior design for this £190m flagship building in Whitechapel for Unite Students, in a varied and ambitious scheme encompassing student amenities, commercial workspace and performance, exhibition and community spaces, as part of the client’s Section 106 obligations.
Our interior design and curatorial approach references the theatrical history of the site, once home to the Boar’s Head Tudor-era theatre, and celebrates the new concrete structure that now bridges the ruins. Physical artefacts uncovered during the archeological dig were a key driver for the design; drawing from artefacts as varied as Tudor moneybox tops used at the Boar’s Head to a 20th century Incredible Hulk figurine, the exhibition traces the history of the site as a place of theatre, making and changing beliefs from ancient Roman times to the present day.
Based on this narrative, we oversaw the development of graphic interpretation and exhibition material within the social spaces we designed for student and public use, working in close collaboration with Museum of London Archeology (MOLA) and in the commissioning of original artwork for public and student areas which referenced the site’s rich history.
Artwork for the Women of the Playhouse window panels was done by M&W’s Lauren Li Porter, in collaboration with Curator Jackie Keily. The 4m high drawings depict the playhouse’s patron Queen Anne, its owner Jane Poley, and employee Mary Phillips.
Photography by Marcus Quigley