It is a new mixed use creative venue for Vans enthusiasts and those interested in skateboarding culture, established as a place to participate in the cultural lineage of skateboarding that has defined the Vans brand since 1966, combining skateboarding, art, film and music. The new venue includes an art gallery, ‘Vans labs’ creative spaces, screening room, live music for 850 people, a premium café, numerous bars and a three tier indoor concrete skate park.
The House of Vans London provides a cultural hub for skateboarding, art, film and music. The site is delineated into these four main functions so that each are housed within a specific tunnel.
The five separate tunnels of the site are unified with the large and impressive rubber floor inspired by the iconic patterned sole of the Vans shoe of hexagons and diamonds. The strip of hexagons of the sole has been made to align with an enfilade of arches to delineate a main axis and corridor through the Venue. The durable and recyclable rubber floor provides a clean and comfortable surface but at the same time visually creates a strong contrast to the raw and textured brick walls and vaulted ceiling.
The House of Vans London has been activated as a venue to link with the global Vans community; broadcasting through a live internet radio station, live camera feeds of activity within the skatepark, and through social media reporting the creative activities within the ‘Vans labs’ artist’s spaces.