Spark Lab

20/122 High Road, Ilford, IG1 1BY SPARK Lab will be situated in the Deco Building; the site of the former Dorothy Perkins and Burton clothing store, which closed in 2020 following the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The former Dorothy Perkins will be transformed into a flexible open space that will provide opportunities for local organisations, entrepreneurs, start-ups community groups or artists to test their ideas right on the high street. The design focuse on presenting a flexible and multifunctional space with the ability to be temporarily taken over and customised by the participating collaborators. The Lab comprises an empty 60-200sqm space at the front of the unit, and a series of mobile partitions that will allow the chosen participators to curate the size and compositions of the space. From a small 60sqm pop-up shop to 200sqm exhibition, The Lab can be adapted a variety of different residencies types and uses. A catalogue of multifunctional mobile furniture items will be provided to further facilitate a wide variety of potential uses and occupants in the space. SPARK Lab is an exciting new space based on Ilford High Street, providing an opportunity for makers, creators, entrepreneurs and innovators to share their passions and skills with Ilford. Like so many places across the country, Ilford is fighting off the effects of shop closures on the high street, which have been further accelerated by the recent covid pandemic. Using the town centre fabric as a creative and entrepreneurial canvas, SPARK Lab reimagines the purposes of existing town assets to host a year-long programme of ever-changing activity.