London's New Free Art Hub Transforms a Vacant Space into Creativity
The Eastern City BID is delighted to announce the opening of Hypha x Eastern City Studios, a new gallery and events space at 130 Fenchurch Street.
This previously empty retail unit has been transformed through a partnership with Aviva Investors and CO-RE, alongside specialist charitable partner Hypha Studios.
The space will host a year-round programme, with new exhibitions every 7 weeks, alongside events spanning family, sport, music, culture, and the environment. The Eastern City BID has reactivated this vacant unit in collaboration with Hypha Studios to create a new destination for workers, visitors, and the wider community.
The inaugural exhibition, (UN)SEEN, curated by Zoë Goetzmann, features work from 21 contemporary artists and explores the boundary between what is visible and what remains hidden through painting, sculpture, and installation.
From 19th May, the space will host a week-long clothes swap in partnership with Verte London. Visitors will be able to swap clothes, access repairs, attend free workshops, and connect with a community championing conscious fashion.
A rolling programme of free exhibitions and events will continue throughout the year, bringing vibrancy and energy to the ground floor in the Eastern City.
This marks an exciting new chapter, reinvigorating empty spaces with art, culture, and community activity.
Kate Hart, CEO Eastern City, said: "For the next year this will be a real, genuine space for connection, curiosity, and creativity for all those who work in and visit this extraordinary part of London. The Eastern City is bringing empty spaces back to life by transforming vacant units into spaces for art, activity, and public life."
Will Austin, Cultural Partnerships Manager at the Eastern City BID said: "This project demonstrates how collaborative partnerships can unlock vacant space to deliver meaningful, creative and cultural activation. It shows what is possible, with the BID convening stakeholders, and funding new concepts across the City of London."
Hypha x Eastern City Studios is open Tuesday to Saturday, with free entry and a programme of events running throughout the year."
