The four-storey building, known as The Gin Factory, forms part of Sony Music Group’s Global Studio Network, which comprises of studios and creative hubs in more than 20 cities worldwide, allowing artists to record music wherever they are in the world without limitation.
The opening of these facilities underline Sony Music UK’s artist-friendly strategy and reinforces their continued investment in supporting homegrown emerging and established talent through the creative process, from signing to releasing music.
Image: MoreySmith
Dating back to 1828, the Grade II listed building was formerly part of the site of the J&W Nicholson Gin Distillery. Hidden behind an anonymous entrance in Clerkenwell, the space is now made up of 8,438 sq ft of unique creative suites for up-and-coming artists to relax, collaborate and record.
Housing ten studio spaces, each fitted with custom-designed control desks and the highest levels of bespoke acoustics, the project has been delivered in collaboration with industry leading studio engineers and specialists.
Image: MoreySmith
The main studio is multifunctional and opens up to create a private vocal recording booth, custom timber panelled walls and an overhead halo light to provide the best ambience and correct levels of lighting the engineers and talent require to work. Every element has been designed in close collaboration with Sony Music producers and sound engineers to deliver the leading audio recording functionality, as well as providing visual brilliance for artists to enjoy.
Image: MoreySmith
The site has undergone 18 months of renovations and offers artists a relaxed ambience and atmosphere. Low ambient lighting, exposed brick walls, velvet and leather furniture provide a comfortable environment for artists during sessions, offering the perfect harmony of creativity and residential-inspired design to inspire artists.
Image: Billy Bolton
Heritage details have been preserved throughout the project and vintage style furniture has been repurposed to reflect the history of the building, while also adding to the overall sustainability considerations of this project.
Throughout the space, crittall doors, neon signage and vintage style lighting have been introduced, to create an eclectic environment, complemented by exclusive photography from Sony Music’s archives.
Image: Billy Bolton
Quiet lounge areas away from the studios provide space for artists to relax during sessions, with accent lighting used throughout to create a peaceful atmosphere.
Linda Morey-Burrows, Founder and Principal Director of MoreySmith said, “Sony Music was one of our first clients 30 years ago and this latest project presented a unique opportunity to truly collaborate with the producers, engineers and recording studio experts. Working together, we have delivered a super cool environment to support artists on their way up to achieve their dreams and produce amazing music. The quality of the sound and acoustics was our number one priority with the style and comfort a close second.”
