Turner.Works has transformed a former textile manufacturing site in north London into a sustainable makers’ campus that combines refurbished industrial buildings with new creative workspaces.
Turner.Works has transformed a 1.42-hectare industrial site in north London into a design-led campus that blends restored heritage buildings with a bold contemporary extension, for developer General Projects. Located in the heart of the Harringay Warehouse District, Florentia Village reimagines a 1970s clothing manufacturing hub as a vibrant home for more than 50 creative and production-based businesses.
Originally established as a centre for garment production, Florentia Village had long played a role in North London’s maker economy. General Projects acquired the site in 2021, with the ambition of restoring its original 7,430 square metres of industrial buildings, and expanding onto 0.61 hectares of adjacent vacant land. The result is a 16,720 square-metre campus that supports a diverse mix of activities, from fashion and floristry to furniture design, photography and food.
The new-build extension, designed by Turner.Works, adds 9,290 square-metres of flexible workspace arranged around a series of shared courtyards and public passageways. The masterplan is intended to encourage informal interaction and a sense of community, with buildings and external spaces forming a coherent and interconnected whole.
Materially, the design references the industrial vernacular of the surrounding warehouse district, while introducing a robust, contemporary palette. Four corrugated steel buildings sit alongside the restored brick structures, unified by a vibrant graphic identity developed in collaboration with creative agency DNCO. Polycarbonate panels, fibre-cement cladding and oriented strand board linings are used throughout, providing durability, recyclability and a low-maintenance finish.
The new buildings feature a combination of double-height ground floor units for production work, and mezzanine levels for offices or studios. Above, a sequence of top-lit attic spaces is accessed via a network of colourful external walkways and raised courtyards. These elevated routes reinforce the village-like atmosphere of the campus and provide visual connectivity across the site.
Restoration work on the original warehouse buildings included extensive upgrades to the building fabric and envelope, with a focus on futureproofing. Brightly painted window surrounds and architectural bands accent the brick façades, referencing the site’s historic Mediterranean influences while adding a sense of playfulness and identity.
The buildings have been designed to be demountable and recyclable, with a BREEAM Excellent rating and a fabric-first approach to energy efficiency. Roof profiles are oriented to maximise daylight and enable solar energy generation, while material selection prioritises low embodied carbon and circularity.
The village is operated by General People, providing tailored support to SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups. A new café, community spaces and landscaped gardens complete the campus, providing informal areas for collaboration and events. The Florentia Future Programme, delivered in partnership with Haringey Council, provides free workstations to local entrepreneurs and social enterprises, aiming to broaden access to high-quality workspace.
Carl Turner, Founding Director at Turner.Works, commented: “We are delighted to see the construction of Florentia Village completed, with some occupiers having already made it their new home, this marks the beginning of a new lease of life for the campus and the wider area. This project sets new benchmarks for sustainability in this sector, but we hope it also lifts the hearts (and puts a smile of the face) of all who work there and those just passing by.”
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