SCP
Over the last two decades, I have seen a complete cultural and commercial renaissance in the East End.
SCP set up in Shoreditch because it was cheap and deserted having fallen into decline since the 1950s. Shoreditch was the traditional furniture making district of London through the 19th and 20th Century. You can still see reference to this old industry today with painted advertisements still visible on the side of buildings.
When I first started out, I use to come to Shoreditch to get vintage furniture restored. Like many young artists at that time, I found a beautiful old building that was warehouse/gallery. In fact, it turned out to be a former furniture-manufacturing storeroom. In the early years, SCP East was more of a warehouse space, hosting exhibitions of SCP products by rising stars of the British design scene and of European design difficult to get in London. Against a slightly run down backdrop, over the years, SCP and Shoreditch became a destination for design fans.
Over the last two decades, I have seen a complete cultural and commercial renaissance in the East End. From the heady days of the Brit Art scene to the economic revival of Brick Lane and Spitalfields and, most recently, to its influx of high-tech industries, restaurants, design and fashion stores.
