We are delighted to be included in the Dezeen Awards 2023 longlist! Dezeen is one of the world’s most respected architecture and design platforms.
The Dezeen Awards are global and take place annually. The Dezeen Architecture Awards are separated into fifteen categories. The category RISE Design Studio applied for with The Lexi Cinema & Hub is called “Cultural”.
This year 4,800 nominations were received of which 150 entries made it to the Longlist. In the “Cultural” category only 16 entries are selected, of which The Lexi Cinema & Hub is one of them!
We would like to thank The Lexi Cinema, Sally Wilton, Rosie Greatorex and Zoe Cooke among others for the great opportunity as well as the Dezeen Awards jury for their kind reviews!
We’re absolutely delighted that the Lexi Cinema extension and refurbishment has received two awards, the People’s Choice as well as the Heritage & Culture, at the first Brent Design Awards last Thursday.
The Lexi Cinema & Hub won two awards at the Brent Design Awards in May 2023
Huge thanks also to our amazing client, the Lexi Cinema team, the Contractor CBC Design & Build, all consultants involved and Brent Council for organising what was a truly impressive awards evening. Many congrats to John Stiles, Natasha Reid FRSA, Alice Lester MBE and Ciara Whelehan for pulling this off – a fantastic achievement.
Aerial view of Screen 2 at the back of the original Lexi Cinema, Kensal Rise, North West London
Inspiring and humbling speeches by Councillor Shama Tatler, Councillor Muhammed Butt and Councillor Krupesh Hirani.
The Lexi Cinema: the first cinema screen in the UK to use MVHR and Air to Air Source Heat Pump to control the internal climate of one of its screening rooms. 💨 ♻️
Sean, Director at RISE Design Studio, and Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, at the awards ceremony
It is London’s only social enterprise cinema, located in Kensal Rise. A treasured asset within the local community, The Lexi Cinema tasked us with revitalising a 99 sqm parcel of vacant land in the rear car park of the existing Edwardian gabled brick theatre.
Following a successful two-year fundraising campaign including grants from the Brent Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy, a contribution of £50,000 from Sadiq Khan’s community fund, and local donations, RISE Design Studio submitted a planning application backed by 1,210 local signatories, and construction began in July 2020. 🎬👷🏾♀️
Sean and Imran, Directors at RISE, with Muhammed Butt Leader of Brent Council
Situated in a residential neighbourhood 🏘, The Lexi Hub’s design needed to be approached with sensitivity, taking into account the houses neighbouring the site. This was not just an architectural task but a community endeavour; we envisioned an extension that mirrored the genuine care and regard for the community that local patrons have consistently shown towards The Lexi. 👨👩👦 👩🏽🎓👩🏼🍳 In order to minimise the new Lexi Hub’s visual bulk, we proposed a sunken extension, excavating 1.5 metres down. This ensures that the extension rises only 2 metres above the adjacent garden wall, whilst also allowing level access from the car park. This design strategy hides a foundation of reinforced concrete, including services, and robust acoustic and thermal insulation.
Rosie from The Lexi, Alice Lester MBE Operational Director Regeneration, Growth and Employment at London Borough of Brent and Sean, Director at RISE Design Studio
Key to the Client Brief were the Sustainable Strategies, which included Air-Air Source Heat Pump, Super-insulated walls and roof, Airtightness, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery, and Wildflower Sedum Green Roof.
RISE Design Studio is elated to announce the completion of the refurbishment and extension of The Lexi, a cherished gem in the heart of London and the city’s only social enterprise cinema, nestled in Kensal Rise.
A beloved asset to the local community, RISE brought back to life a 99 sqm piece of empty land in the rear parking lot of the historic Edwardian gabled brick theatre 🏛️. Teaming up with The Lexi, we consulted Brent Council who guided us away from the initial idea of a formal beer garden 🍻 due to noise considerations. Instead, they proposed a potential enclosed second screen 📽️. And voila! RISE began to visualize an eco-friendly second cinema and bar 🍹, aiming to accommodate the expanding community programme and boost the revenue for The Lexi’s ecological charity endeavours 🌳. With Brent’s instrumental support, the project – affectionately named The Lexi Hub – was guided by continuous advisory, ensuring a delicate balance between planning policy and community needs.
Thanks to a successful two-year fundraising campaign, boosted by grants from Brent NCIL, a generous £50,000 contribution from the Mayor of London’s community fund 💰, and heartwarming local donations, The Lexi and RISE submitted a planning application endorsed by 1,211 local signatories. The construction, filled with hope and anticipation, kicked off in July 2020.
Nestled in a residential area, The Lexi Hub demanded a thoughtful design approach, considering the intimacy of neighbouring homes 🏘️. Driven by community partnership, RISE envisioned an extension that reflected the same affection and care for the community that The Lexi continues to receive from its loyal patrons ❤️. The design of a sunken extension, dug 1.5m down to reduce the massing of the new Lexi Hub, ensured the addition only rises 2m above the neighbouring garden wall and also facilitates level access from the car park. The Lexi Hub can now accommodate up to 30 viewers with flexible space for wheelchair users, panel discussions, and events and also houses a brand-new bar 🍸.
In order to minimize visual bulk, the design drew inspiration from neighbouring roofs, using in situ cast concrete arches that lean away from neighbouring gardens at a 45º angle 🌈. Reclaimed London stock brick and buffed stainless steel reflecting the sky above were used to beautifully blend the extension into its surroundings. As a token to nature, a lush green wildflower roof was installed 🌼. Prioritizing sustainability, The Lexi Hub was designed to minimize heat loss and energy usage, featuring an MVHR system for regulating temperature and air quality, a pioneering move in UK cinemas! 🌎💡
Sadly, during the construction, a fire 🔥 caused significant smoke damage to the original Screen One, requiring a thorough refit of the existing interiors. Yet, RISE managed to salvage precious period details and characters, including the original parquet flooring which was restored and reinstated in the Box Office 🎟️. The unfortunate incident was an opportunity to breathe a new life into the cinema’s facilities and spaces. Raw blush plaster and black walkways now serve as subtle guides, leading patrons from the Box Office to a glimmering side extension, and onto a newly refurbished bar, ending at Screen Two 🎬.
Life and movies 🍿 are about embracing the unexpected, and at The Lexi, we’re all set to face the future together, armed with the magic of cinema!
A complete list of the longlisted projects is available on the RIBA Journal website. The winners will be announced at the end of January and in the RIBAJ February 2023 print edition.
A review of the project by Chris Foges with photographs by Henry Woide was featured last August in Architecture Today, please see here for the article.
If you would like to talk through your project with the team, please do get in touch at mail@risedesignstudio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 3290 1003
Thrilled to share that our project ‘The Bunker’ has been longlisted for the #DezeenAwards 2020! 🎉🎉
Dubbed the ‘Brexit Bunker’, this project is a sunken, weathered steel-clad extension at the rear garden of a London house 🏡. It offers a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of city life 🌆 and unpredictable London weather ☔.
The Bunker in Kensal Rise, North West London
Constructed from hot-rolled steel 🚄, the same material used for the adjacent railway track, the exterior left to rust naturally, providing a unique and industrial aesthetic. With an asymmetric pyramidal roof and an oriel window, the studio stands as a focal point in the garden, framed by two reclaimed London Stock brick walls 🧱.
Inside, the walls and ceiling are lined with plywood, creating a light-filled and warm space 🪵. A skylight offers upward views, enhancing the sense of tranquillity. The walls and roof are highly insulated, offering both thermal and acoustic protection 🎶.
The Bunker in Kensal Rise, North West London
An outside patio with a steel hanging light fixture completes the scene, connecting the main house with the studio. Its asymmetrical pyramid-shape mimics the studio, adding a subtle touch of design continuity 🌟.
Our client describes it as a “place of sanctuary” – a haven where the sounds of birds 🐦 replace the noise of the city, and there’s no visual hint of the urban setting 🌿.
Thanks to our fantastic client and team for making this possible, and to #Dezeen for including us in their longlist.
A full list of the longlisted projects is available on the Dezeen’s website. Winners are announced on 12th October 2020.
A review of the project by Philip Stevens with photographs by Edmund Sumner was featured last October in Designboom, please see here for the article.
