The iconic night club is making the daytime cool too.
The Ministry of Sound is opening a new club this July – but it’s not a nightclub.
Recognising the growing need for co-working spaces, the infamous nightclub is now branching out into co-working – with a new members club that offers creatives a shared office space during the day.
The Ministry will be the latest chic, shared working space-come-private members club to join the mix, with a restaurant and bar, year-round outdoor terrace, soundproof studios, an immersive technology suite and cinema space.
When the club first opened its doors in SE1 back in 1991, its address was decidedly unfashionable, and the whole Southwark area could only be described as ‘run-down’.
But now, three decades later, it has become a fast-gentrifying neighbourhood. Gone are the abandoned warehouses and the old estates, making way for fashionable conversions and coffee shops.
Now, award-winning architects Squire & Partners have helped transform a vast Victorian warehouse that was built in the 1860’s into a 21st-century co-working space that embraces raw elements of the original architecture.
For the members’ club this means that the printworks will be stripped-back to expose the original building’s fabric, with simple furniture and plush textiles added to the interiors.
The architecture firm are known for their urban, industrial style, and were the brains behind the Department Store in Brixton, and the forthcoming Lexicon skyscraper in the city.
Covering six floors, the new SE1 site (a stone’s throw away from the original London Bridge venue) houses a 70-foot bar, full-service restaurant, music studios, a fitness suite, 40-seater cinema, a wellness room, an event space, a year-round outdoor courtyard and even a tequila bar in the ladies.
Over in the members club area there’s a 20-metre-long bar stretching cross the entire entire ground floor and acting as the central meeting space in the building.
The idea is to offer start-ups, freelance businesses and entrepreneurs a flexible space to work without the high overhead costs of a long office lease. There are even serviced meeting rooms where you can order lunch at the push of a button.
Members won’t be going hungry. Breakfast will be displayed on the bar…
At lunch time, there’s a grab-and-go selection of sandwiches, wraps, soups, daily quiches and salads.
After 6pm, the downstairs area converts into a bar with pizzas, small plates and cocktails.
But The Ministry won’t be opening its doors to everyone. Like the nightclub, the door policy will be strict. The Ministry is by creatives for creatives; music companies, film and TV producers, marketing agencies, PR companies, creative technology start-ups, fashion designers and the arts. Anyone more used to a suit and tie might want to re-think their outfit choice.
With the new venue within walking distance of the original Ministry of Sound address, it’ll be easier than ever to transition from work to play on a Friday night.
