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Blurring the barbed boundary of commerce and culture, the Village Underground model is functional without being restrictive, plus it’s made primarily of recycled materials. A creative business solution or an economically viable creative choice, the Foxcroft brothers have managed to carve a niche that fills a void - stable, multi-purpose creative spaces.

The ten meter high, glass-paneled ceiling of the main atrium and the brick vaults of a Victorian warehouse comprise the main event space. The space has handled the pressure of operas, the technical needs of Sony, the ingenuity of end of year Degree shows, the prestige of the BBC, and the intimacy of private dinners. Echoing this feeling of openness and industry are the offices that are on the roof in recycled tube carriages, rendered on top of metal containers. Monorex, noisebydesign, Terrorist Clothing, and Inmakulate are among the companies that furbish the minimalist workspaces with visionary ideas and innovative products.

Profound in its balance of spontaneity and foresight, the professionals that create, collaborate, and play here do so as the financial district, 2010 East London line and 2012 Olympics loom against the Shoreditch skyline.