Funky Venues

Venue Review

Character: Colourful and outlandish but thoroughly functional warehouse.

Funky Features: Colourful attention-demanding interior. The Learning Suite is the ideal space for ‘break out’ sessions, brainstorming and intensive seminars. Set away from the rest of the building, it is equipped with broadband-ready PCs and a conference table.

Location and History

The Fashion and Textile Museum reflects the vibrant character of its pioneering and eccentric founder, fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, decorated out in bright colours inside and out. The Fashion and Textile Museum is on Bermondsey Street, 10 minutes walk from London Bridge Station an area easily accessible by taxi, and is served by numerous buses. Bermondsey Street, also known as Bermondsey Village, is south London’s principle fashion district, and is sprinkled with design studios, company headquarters, and shops bars and restaurants. 

The museum, designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legoretta, opened in 2003, and in 2006 was purchased by Newham College. The college is busy developing the versatile open-plan building into an education, exhibition and visitor centre for contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery. Zandra Rhodes still keeps her design studio and her home in the building, and remains very much involved with the museum. 

Interior

With its extravagant colour scheme, sharp angles and industrial components, the Fashion and Textile Museum has a distinctly contemporary sense of grandiosity in the Zandra tradition. Beyond the entrance is the Grand Gallery, a high-ceilinged space equipped with a full lighting rig and enough space for a large conference table or a moderately sized stage. A ramp takes visitors to the mezzanine level known as the Long Gallery. Less spacious than the Grand Gallery, this is an ideal spot for seminars and workshops. Next door is the Learning Suite. 

Spaces for Hire

The Grand Gallery can accommodate up to 200 guests for receptions, 100 guests for dinner, and 120 guests for seated presentations or conferences. This is a great space for product launches and events requiring a sense of occasion.

The entire museum is licensed to sell alcohol, and will happily recommend caterers to work within its excellent dry hire kitchen space. The Long gallery has a capacity of up to 100 seated guests.

The Learning Suite is the ideal space for ‘break out’ sessions, brainstorming and intensive seminars, set away from the rest of the building, it is equipped with broadband-ready PCs and a conference table and can accommodate up to 50 guests in theatre-style seating.