House of Vans London | Vans | 2014
Experiential agency Black Sparrow Presents invited us to help them design and build the new House of Vans space below London’s Waterloo station. Working alongside Black Sparrow, Tim Greatrex and Marc Churchill we built a beautiful multi purpose space located in five tunnels underneath the public platforms of Waterloo station.
Our challenge was to create an environment that was as multi-purpose as possible – combining a cinema, artist lab, bars, art gallery, green room, gig venue and restaurant with a world class skate park.
As well as designing the space we were commissioned to design the publications, interiors, films and billboard advertising.
Throughout the venue H&L and Tim Greatrex focused on materials and processes that would allow for a robust yet beautiful interior, each tunnel being given it’s own character and signature with a Vans shoe inspired floor pattern. From the illuminated numbers to the lamp shades we crafted an interior that was a new and exciting departure for Vans – combining the intrinsic beauty of the 170 year old victorian tunnels with modern materials, processes and innovative uses of space.
We were also fortunate enough to get the opportunity to make the teaser film and billboard advertising. Making the creation of both the film and Ads a document of the House of Vans first creative act. Using the space as the canvas we used CGI, long exposure photography, projection and light painting to create a film that hinted at the different kinds creative energy that the House of Vans would release once activated by skaters and the local community.
