Department, Turner Works

A derelict department store in Ryde, empty for years, is now a theatre, gallery and home for the Isle of Wight's creative community.

This is the story of Department, told by the people who built it and the people who use it. Once a blacksmiths, then a much loved high street store, the Grade II listed building had stood vacant for years. Working with the carnival arts charity Shademakers and the local community, architects Turner Works brought it back to life as a cultural hub; theatre and rehearsal spaces, artists' studios, an exhibition hall, a dance studio and a recording studio, in a town named an Arts Council priority place.

I spent time on site speaking to the team behind it and the people already using the space, to capture not just the finished building but what it means to the town. It is high street regeneration at its most human, a redundant building given back to the people who live around it.

Architect: Turner Works

Cultural partner: Shademakers

Location: Ryde, Isle of Wight