Shortlisted – RIBA London Regional Awards 2023

We are delighted to announce that our The Lexi Project & Hub scheme in Kensal Rise is shortlisted in this year’s RIBA London Regional Awards.

A huge thank you to our wonderful client and project team for making it such a success:

• Client: The Lexi Cinema
• Architect: RISE Design Studio
• Structural engineer: CAR Ltd
• Main contractor: CBC Design & Build
• Services engineer: Enhabit
• Sustainability Consultant: Kaspar Bradshaw
• AV Consultant: Omnex Pro Film
• Cinema Technical Specialist: Sammy Patterson
• Screen + Projector Pod Specialist: Powell Cinema Engineers
• Intruder Alarm Specialist: NSS Security Solutions
• IT Specialist: Blashford IT Support
• Landscape consultant: Dan Shea Garden Designer
• Acoustic consultant: Munro Acoustics
• Approved building inspector: Quadrant
• Wayfinding Designer: Zalacain Wayfinding

The attention and interest generated by this 99m2 cinema  extension has been truly humbling!

RISE Design Studio has completed the refurbishment and extension of London’s only social enterprise cinema, The Lexi, in Kensal Rise.

A treasured asset within the local community, RISE revitalised a 99 sqm parcel of vacant land in the rear car park of the existing Edwardian gabled brick theatre. RISE and The Lexi consulted Brent Council who advised the initial concept, a formal beer garden, would not be possible due to noise constraints but an enclosed second screen might be feasible. RISE conceptualised an environmentally-driven second cinema and bar to accommodate the growing community programme and help drive revenue for The Lexi’s ecological charity efforts. Brent were instrumental in supporting the project – titled The Lexi Hub – through continuous advisory, ensuring planning policy and community needs were balanced.

Following a successful two year fundraising campaign including grants from the Brent NCIL, a contribution of £50,000 from the Mayor of London’s community fund, and local donations, The Lexi and RISE submitted a planning application backed by 1,211 local signatories, construction began in July 2020.

Located in a residential area, The Lexi Hub required a sensitive design approach to exercise consideration to the close neighbouring adjacent homes. An exercise in community partnership, RISE conceptualised an extension that reciprocates the same care and thought for the community which is wholeheartedly shown to The Lexi by local patrons. The architects designed a sunken extension, digging down 1.5m to reduce the new Lexi Hub’s massing, ensuring the extension sits only 2m above the neighbouring garden wall while also enabling level access from the car park. The Lexi Hub seats up to 30 viewers, with flexible accessible space for two wheelchairs or panel discussions and events, and features a new bar.

RISE reduced visual bulk further by echoing the neighbouring parapet roofs, creating a solid superstructure of in situ cast concrete arches which lean away from neighbouring gardens on a 45º angle. Reclaimed London stock brick was used to anchor the extension in its setting and buffed stainless steel to reflect the sky above, conceived as a natural cinema screen which camouflages the roof form. A green wildfower roof replaces biodiversity lost at a higher level. Choosing sustainably-minded options where possible, The Lexi Hub is sealed for airtightness to minimise heat-loss and energy usage, and also features a MVHR system. The Lexi is one of the first cinemas in the UK to regulate temperature and air quality through MVHR opposed to AC.

During construction of The Lexi Hub, a fire caused major smoke damage to the original cinema, Screen One, requiring a complete refit of the existing interiors. RISE salvaged original period details and character including the parquet flooring, which was restored and reinstated to the Box Office. The accident was seen as an opportunity to create a new cohesive interior language throughout the cinema’s facilities and spaces. Raw blush plaster and black walkways act as wayfinding devices, directing patrons from the Box Office down a glazed side extension to a newly refurbished bar, onto ScreenTwo.

A full list of the shortlisted projects is available on the Architects’ Journal website. Winners are announced at the awards evening on Friday 12th May 2023.

A review of the project by Fran Williams with photographs by Henry Woide was featured last August in the Architects’ Journal, please see here for the article.

For a short video of the scheme please see below.

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 3973 9073

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