Victorian Tram Depot Transformed into Creative Hub
Clapton Tram Depot, one of London's last surviving Victorian horse-drawn tram hubs, is set to be reborn as a creative neighbourhood. The project by London-based property and investment company Gilini Group will refurbish the site, providing room for 34 creative business units. These will house furniture makers, photographers, manufacturers, and artists.
Design and Preservation
Designed by Yellow Cloud Studio, the refurbishment includes outdoor space, such as a public courtyard and an upper terrace, plus five family homes. The depot currently has a BLOK gym and a stylish café-deli, both of which will remain in the new development. Gilini aims to retain features that have made the depot a local landmark, preserving original shed structures, double-height industrial spaces, and reinstating tram-track detailing.
History of the Depot
Built in the 1870s for horse-drawn trams that carried Londoners between Clapton and Aldgate/Moorgate, the depot housed horses in stables on the first floor, while the ground floor was for tram tracks and carriage washing. After the last horse-drawn tram left in 1907, the site has been reinvented several times: first as a bus station, then for tradesmen like carpenters and mechanics. In the 1980s and 1990s, it became a hub for artists living and working in studios, though tenants were displaced in 2014 for a major redevelopment that later stalled.
Campaign Success
Since 2008, campaigners have defeated two demolition proposals to replace the depot with flats and offices. Commenting on the project, Gilini Group said: 'When we acquired Clapton Tram Depot, we were acquiring something irreplaceable – a working creative ecosystem that has survived two decades of development pressure. Our commitment from the outset was that any scheme had to preserve what makes this place worth saving. We want to demonstrate that heritage-led regeneration and genuine affordability aren’t in conflict with each other.'
Yellow Cloud Studio added: 'Our approach was to design a scheme of modest scale, allowing the historic buildings to remain the dominant element, and to create an inviting new street-facing elevation with a redefined entrance.'
