THE SPACE BEFORE THE SPACE
THE INCUBATION AND BUILDING PROCESS OF YOU STUDIO’S LONDON FLAGSHIP STUDIO
AFTER MONTHS OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, YOU STUDIO IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE EXPANSION FROM OUR ORIGINAL MANCHESTER SPACE INTO A NEW CREATIVE HOME.
OPENING A PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM STUDIO IN LONDON HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM FOR US. ALTHOUGH WE FINALLY RECEIVED THE KEYS IN FEBRUARY, THE JOURNEY TRULY BEGAN YEARS EARLIER WITH OUR SEARCH FOR THE RIGHT BUILDING. WE WEREN’T JUST LOOKING FOR A FUNCTIONAL STUDIO SPACE, WE ENVISIONED A PLACE THAT COULD GROW INTO A CREATIVE AND CULTURAL SPACE. AS SOON AS WE STEPPED INSIDE THIS PROPERTY, WE KNEW IT WAS THE ONE. WE CONTACTED OUR ARCHITECT IMMEDIATELY AND BEGAN SETTING EVERYTHING IN MOTION.
THE BUILDING PROCESS
THE MOVE ITSELF FELT LIKE A FITTING INTRODUCTION TO THE JOURNEY AHEAD. WE DROVE DOWN FROM MANCHESTER IN OUR WELL WORN CITROËN BERLINGO, PACKED TO THE BRIM WITH TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT. AGAINST THE ODDS, IT MADE THE JOURNEY, ONLY TO BREAK DOWN THE VERY NEXT DAY, LEAVING US PUSHING IT THROUGH CENTRAL LONDON. A CHAOTIC, SWEATY, AND SLIGHTLY SURREAL MOMENT, BUT ALSO THE PERFECT SYMBOL OF THE MONTHS AHEAD: MESSY, CHALLENGING, AND COMPLETELY WORTH IT.
WHAT FOLLOWED WERE COUNTLESS LATE NIGHTS AND EARLY MORNINGS, WORKING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, BALANCING PLANNING, BUILDING, DESIGNING, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING WHEREVER WE COULD FIT IT IN. THERE WERE SETBACKS AT EVERY STAGE , DELAYS, CHANGES TO PLANS, MATERIALS THAT DIDN’T ARRIVE ON TIME, AND MOMENTS WHEN THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT FELT OVERWHELMING. BUT EACH CHALLENGE PUSHED US TO REFINE OUR VISION AND REMINDED US WHY WE STARTED. EVERY TIME WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLOSE TO FINISHING, WE WERE PUSHED 10 STEPS BACK.
ALONG THE WAY, WE MET SO MANY INCREDIBLE PEOPLE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS PLACE WHAT IT IS NOW, BUILDERS, DESIGNERS, CRAFTSPEOPLE, NEIGHBOURS, COLLABORATORS. EACH ADDING THEIR OWN ENERGY AND EXPERTISE. EVERY CONVERSATION SHAPED THE STUDIO IN SMALL BUT MEANINGFUL WAYS. WE WANTED EVERYTHING TO FEEL INTENTIONAL, FROM THE LAYOUT TO THE SMALLEST DESIGN DETAILS, BECAUSE OUR HOPE WAS SIMPLE: THAT THIS WOULD BE A SPACE PEOPLE WOULD LOVE WALKING INTO AS MUCH AS WE LOVED CREATING IT.
WHAT BEGAN AT THE START OF THE NEW YEAR AS A BARE SHELL HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED THROUGH COUNTLESS HOURS, SETBACKS, AND RELENTLESS EFFORT INTO A SPACE THAT EMBODIES OUR VISION. THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING BUILD, ONE THAT TESTED OUR PATIENCE AND OUR PASSION HOWEVER THE RESULT IS SOMETHING WE’RE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF.
STEP BY STEP, WITH A LOT OF DETERMINATION AND NOT MUCH SLEEP, THE EMPTY BUILDING SLOWLY TRANSFORMED INTO THE STUDIO WE HAD IMAGINED FOR SO LONG. A SPACE BUILT ON HARD WORK, COLLABORATION, AND COUNTLESS SMALL MOMENTS THAT FINALLY LED US TO OPENING THESE DOORS.
