I believe that we, as architects, have been conditioned to design absolutely everything almost too well, to over-design, creating developments completely devoid of any leftover space, and, perhaps unintentionally, not realising the significant value that these under-designed or ‘leftover’ spaces hold within the sub-cultural scenes.

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The Rave Revolution (my Unit 04 work) fell into this trap, by attempting to propose a new development that had spaces for rave culture designed into the public realm I often found myself frustrated that I was designing anything at all. However, it is important to remember that the project acted as just one potential solution to the designing out of nightclubs in the city. It acted as an exploration, existing almost in a realm of fantasy, where its realisation would be unrealistic in today’s climate. For this it almost feels that continuing to technically rationalise aspects of my design would just be a futile task, one that does not contribute meaningfully to my cause.

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Instead, my chosen technical enquiry looks at an intervention that can be applied more generally to sites across the city, exploring and demonstrating the application through a case study site in a new development in Canning Town. My enquiry asks:

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‘What is the minimum amount of technical intervention required to create the essence of rave?’

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With the COVID-19 pandemic, the subsequent economic recession and the new normality of working from home the city is beginning to see more and more abandoned office blocks and vacated retail units on the high street. It’s no surprise that architects are discussing the potential of these spaces for nightclubs and music venues as ideas of a ‘new normal’ are legitimising the possibilities of spending less time in offices.

My enquiry then aims to prepare a legible document that investigates how one would appropriate one of these spaces (or any other space within a new development) for a rave, while intending to retain the under-designed, DIY essence of underground rave culture. The document acts as a toolkit for anyone looking to appropriate spaces and includes a range of interventions, from the absolute basics (decks and a sound-system) to more substantial interventions required for a fully functioning venue (ventilation, circulation and acoustic insulation).

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The toolkit is compiled through the exploration of a small number of case studies of venues currently operating (pre-pandemic) in London. Much alike the re-telling of a hazy night out, my exploration into these case studies has had to rely heavily on photographs found online and my own memory due to the current situation. The current closure of all nightclubs and the general lack of spatial documentation of these spaces meant that it was best and most accessible for me to look at a small number of spaces that I have had physical experience of.

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As a body of work the rave toolkit is ever expansive, with the ability to add, subtract and adjust possible throughout its life, the toolkit changes as the scene and technology changes. Rave culture is and always has been fluid and the intention here is not to create a static set of regulatory conditions, but to provide guidance and advice so that, in theory, anyone could open a venue.