Republic London: a five-year strategy for community & wellbeing
As The Trampery prepares to open the latest phase of its collaboration with developer Trilogy at their Republic campus in East London, it’s a good moment to tell the story of the project’s first five years and share The Trampery’s strategy behind its human dimension.
In March 2016 Trilogy’s CEO Robert Wolstenholme approached me to discuss the 600,000 square foot site he’d just acquired at East India Dock. The scheme was a sprawling office development built in the 1990s, sandwiched between the Poplar neighbourhood of East London and the towers of Canary Wharf. The scheme required so much marble, legend had it the original owner purchased a quarry in Ferrara because that was cheaper than buying the quantity of marble through a supplier.
The 1990s scheme was not a success. My first impression when visiting the site was of windswept desolation, with little sense of welcome or place. Trilogy’s challenge was not just to refurbish the original buildings, but to establish a welcoming and lively community that tenants would rush to be part of.
The architect Studio RHE had been engaged to lead the physical refurbishment, and Robert wanted The Trampery to lead the human element. I was fascinated by the challenge and thought I could see a way to make it work. We joined the project and set to work planning a community-focused strategy that would be delivered over several stages.
Stage 1 - Light the fire
The crucial first step of the strategy was to create an initial pocket of energy on the 9th floor of the Import Building (the first building to be refurbished). In December 2016 we launched The Trampery Republic as a 10,000 square foot penthouse workspace, with a wrap-around terrace and spectacular views over the Thames. This was the first piece of the entire Republic redevelopment to go live, meaning it was critical to the wider project’s success. In this first stage we brought together several mutually reinforcing elements:
- Delivery of alt.barbican, a new accelerator programme for mid-career digital artists, developed in partnership with the Barbican Centre. Other partners included Mutek Montreal, National Theatre & British Council; and the initial cohort of artists included Dries Depoorter, Henry Driver, Jasmine Johnson, Ling Tan and Magz Hall.
- Dedicated facilities for two fast-growing creative ventures. Playdeo, a gaming venture with unique technology for inserting interactive 3D animations into video content; and British Journal of Photography, originally founded in 1854, but bursting with innovation and new initiatives.
- A coworking facility for a wide spectrum of small creative businesses. Initial members included Gallivant Perfumes and Red and White Architects, both of whom have gone on to great success.
- The Evo Pioneers initiative, providing desks and support completely free for six month periods to talented entrepreneurs from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds.
- A carefully planned event programme onsite, combining workshops for the creative community with engagement for young people living locally, working with a variety of partners.
The workspace was full within a week of opening and by the end of the first month, the space was buzzing. I found it wonderfully surreal to spend time working in this small pocket of vibrancy and energy on the top floor, while the rest of the building remained empty and the refurbishment progressed.
Stage 2 — A heart for Import Building
By the end of 2017, the refurbishment of Import Building was complete and Trilogy was ready to start bringing large tenants into the scheme. The centrepiece of Studio RHE’s refurbishment was a massive timber grid framing the central atrium, with a dramatic staircase rising through the first two floors formed from geometric blue panels. However, this magnificent atrium felt completely lifeless.
Working with our members White Red Architects, we designed a new workspace spanning the first and second floors, surrounding the atrium and accessed via Studio RHE’s amazing staircase. To mark our presence we placed a huge artificial cherry tree on one corner.
Overnight the atrium felt populated and welcoming, and Republic started to have a distinctive character. Visitors were impressed and gradually tenants started moving in.
Stage 3 - Engage the whole community
In 2018 as Republic’s tenant community began to expand, The Trampery commenced the third stage of its strategy with the launch of the Republic Community Programme. The programme provides an inter-linking set of activities for the entire tenant community at Republic; drawing on all The Trampery’s experience supporting workspace communities, but deploying it at a larger scale than we’ve ever attempted previously.
The Community Programme includes weekly wellbeing events such as yoga and meditation, social activities such as wine tastings and games nights, and also business-focused events such as entrepreneur talks. In parallel, The Trampery team took over reception and front-of-house duties as a way to strengthen relationships with everyone working in the building.
By the end of 2019 the Community Programme was supporting a daily working population of 2,000 people at Republic, including the workforces of Anglia Ruskin University, International Water Association and Vodafone. During the coronavirus pandemic all activities switched online, but now as restrictions are being lifted, face-to-face activities are resuming once again.
Stage 4 — Expand & build strategic links
With the completion of Export Building, the second block at Republic, the newest stage of The Trampery’s strategy is unfolding. On the ground floor of Export, opening directly onto the atrium, a new workspace called the “Greenhouse” will open shortly. For the first time, this includes a strategic collaboration with one of Republic’s tenants, in the form of an incubator for students at the University of West Scotland. This will provide opportunities for student businesses to mix with other entrepreneurs, and build bridges from the academic environment to the startup world.
In parallel, we’ve opened a new workspace on the ground floor of Import, and plans are in preparation for further facilities in the building to open later in 2021.
What have we learned?
Every stage of the project at Republic has been an experiment where The Trampery was trying something we hadn’t done before. It hasn’t always been straightforward, and not everything worked the first time around. However we’ve always remained true to the vision we established at the beginning of the project, and this has served as a valuable reference point.
The single biggest lesson was regarding collaboration across organisational cultures. Making Republic a success has required a complex mesh of strategic and operational ties between The Trampery, Trilogy and also Workman (the site’s facilities manager). The three organisations have different cultures and priorities, resulting in a view of the world that is often different. The moments where our collaboration faltered, we first needed to identify the problem, followed by time spent patiently working it out together.
Today the collaboration is at its highest level, with The Trampery’s team at Republic under the inspired leadership of Kelly Couer-de-Lion. The results speak for themself. Republic has emerged as an office campus that’s different from anything else in London; not just architecturally but also in its sense of community, its values and its commitment to personal wellbeing. I’m excited to see what we can achieve over the next five years.
If you’d be interested in joining the community at The Trampery Republic, find out more here.
