Can Ladbroke Hall turn Notting Hill into an art destination?
“We want to use the language of a foundation or a museum; moving away from the idea of being a gallery. I want everybody to feel they can come in and educate themselves about design. We want diversity, not only in the artists that we work with but the people that visit us, whether that’s a local school or someone from fashion, the arts or design. We’ve been very successful as a business and now want to give back. We’re seeding things here – we’re not sure what, but we know something beautiful will grow.”
Loïc Le Gaillard, Financial Times
News just in: Ladbroke Grove is getting a very zhuzhy arts hub for SS23. With a gallery, restaurant, photo studio, recording studio, gardens and performance space, Ladbroke Hall in Barlby Road will be the London flagship of co-founder Loïc Le Gaillard’s multi-disciplinary Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
The property itself promises to be quite the destination when it opens next spring. Previously an events space and filming location and before that, home to the Sunbeam Talbot Motor Company, the 1903 Grade II-listed building (below) is being reimagined by starchitect David Adjaye (on the gallery side) and architect-artist Vincenzo De Cotiis and designer-artist Michèle Lamy (on the hospitality side). “We’re building a community for creatives and locals,” says Le Gaillard. “Anyone who wants to stretch artistic expression will be welcome here.”
Ladbroke Grove has a rich history of arts and culture. In the 60s it was the epicentre of London counterculture and civil rights activism, long before it was whitewashed by Notting Hill the movie. (I’m knee deep in The Frontline right now which is an education in itself.) In recent years, W10 has seen the emergence of a new gallery scene, including the Tribal Gathering gallery and David Hill Gallery*, a photography destination whose work has inspired the likes of Wales Bonner. As a local, it’s exciting to see this end of Grove getting a little more love and attention.
*Full disclosure: David Hill is my partner
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Michele Lamy and Loïc Le Gaillard at Ladbroke Hall by Tom Jamieson/FT; Ladbroke Hall by Tom Jamieson/FT
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