The Creative District Improvement Company (TCDIC) and Holloway Studios have submitted plans to the London Borough of Richmond to redevelop the historic Twickenham Studios complex in St Margaret’s.
With over 100 years of world-class filmmaking to reference, the studios were involved in making film classics such as, “The Italian Job”, “A Hard Days Night and more recently, the Oscar winning film, “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
TCIDC, owned by Piers Read and Jeremy Rainbird, bought the site last year and has a reputation for developing creative space in the UK and commented: “To meet the current demand for UK film and high-end TV production, land the size of 130 football pitches is needed to host the 2.5 million square feet of new studio space required by 2032.”
Holloway Studios aims to use the refurbishment to build on their previous successes and to help them to reimagine their business into a community-based studio that will continue to produce high-quality movies.
Tim Gee, the development director at TCDIC, wanted to ensure that the studios “continue to be ahead of the game and a sustainable centre of the local Twickenham and St Margaret’s economy for the foreseeable future – well in advance of 25 years – and continue to make the area proud as one of the homes of UK movies and TV production.”
Mr Gee also added: “This is a very successful business in its own right as it stands today, but its facilities require not just TLC, but a major revamp.”
The building will house a café and heritage centre open to the public on the ground floor. Above this will sit office and co-working spaces.
Located close to St Margaret’s railway station and in a prominent corner building which will form a new entrance building for the studios.
With an estimated construction cost of £15m, the refurbishment works are expected to start later this year.
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