For 15 years, Assemble has been operating on the intersection of activism and architecture, cultural work and the maker movement. Today, the collective is seen as a trailblazer in a new wave of architects. Aaron Betsky summarises in `Assemble Building Collective´ published by Thames & Hudson.
Text: Sandra Hofmeister
Group photo © Assemble
Immediately after graduating from the Cambridge School of Architecture, a group of friends set out to improve the world through their interventions. Back then, 15 years ago, the projects were often self-initiated and without a budget. They were a kind of hobby alongside their actual professions. Nevertheless, the interventions of the Assemble collective brought a breath of fresh air, idealism and courage to the architecture scene. This was urgently needed in London, where commercial investor architecture and gentrification are omnipresent.
Big Slide, Stratford, London, UK 2012 © Assemble
Hands-on
The name of the group promises action: Assemble is a call to action – get involved! The first project, in London's Clerkenwell district in 2010, combined cultural revolt with temporary use and provisional architecture. Thanks to the collective's tireless efforts, an abandoned petrol station was occupied and then converted into a cinema for the summer and a little longer. The ‘Petrolium’ station and the ‘Cinema’ became the ‘Cinerolium’ – a celebration for residents across the neighbourhood. The temporary structure, complete with unconventional curtains made of glittering, lightweight foil, remained in place for longer than planned – a brilliant start to the collective's work. Over the years, Assemble has grown, but its ideas are still going strong and its impact is even greater today.
Claystation, Art on the Underground, Seven Sisters, London, UK, 2017 © Assemble
Strenthening the community
Although Assemble does not prioritise commercial success, this is perhaps precisely why it has grown so quickly. Today, the group consists of 18 members, 17 of whom are partners. Experimenting with simple, inexpensive materials, which are often found locally or reused, is part of the daily routine, as is working with clay and other natural materials. Assemble's projects are often located on difficult residual plots of land that have previously been overlooked, such as the Folly for a Flyover, which is situated under two motorway bridges. The aim is often to restore existing buildings to a usable condition. Entire neighbourhoods are involved in the design and planning process, and Assemble members become bar operators, programme designers, potters and much more in the process. In 2015, Assemble won the prestigious Turner Prize, which is usually awarded to artists. 'The declared death of the prize,' commented The Guardian at the time, noting that 'a group of radical architects instead of an artist' had won.
Atelier, LUMA, Arles, France, 2019-2023 © Assemble
Reuse and rethink
Assemble is not easy to describe because the studio takes on very complex tasks. The collective's collaborations with craft businesses, makers, financial service providers and many other partners are even more diverse, whether for individual projects or in the longer term. All of these elements come together in the Granby4Street project in Liverpool, which won the Turner Prize. The project combines political activism and community building through participatory processes, with a focus on craft. Assemble has breathed new life and quality into the working-class neighbourhood in Liverpool. As well as renovating ten houses, they created a communal conservatory and a workshop, which are now independently operated. And it continues: Assemble has recently been commissioned to design a new building to be used for subsidised housing and a community centre.
Kamikatz Brewery, Shikoku Island, Japan, 2017 © Assemble
Make creative things happen
Today, not only does Assemble run its own studio, Sugarhouse Studios, which houses a carpentry workshop and space for creative colleagues, but the collective has also established several workspaces in London. Some of these are already independently organised after Assemble's initial involvement, while others are on their way there. Assemble rents out space to musicians and artists who need a lot of room and are willing to make noise. 'After all, it's getting harder and harder to find all that in London,' says Maria Lisogorskaya of Assemble. 'We try to create the conditions for creative people to become self-employed and work with them.'
Yardhouse_2014_Elevation sunny day_©Philipp Ebeling
Curating, lecturing and publishing books
Assemble's versatility means that, alongside large construction projects such as the Luma Foundation in Arles, smaller interventions are also on the agenda. Building is just one of the collective's many activities, which include curating, exhibition design, lecturing, conducting research studies, and now publishing its own book with Thames & Hudson: Assemble. Building Collective contains over 500 photos spanning 352 pages, depicting processes and projects, sketches and meetings, and including workshops. They do instead of talk. Aaron Betsky's texts focus on the projects, and a corresponding structure brings order to the creative chaos. Betsky calmly explains what Assemble is all about in a total of seven chapters, covering the workshops, community spirit and much more. Further chapters could certainly have been added, or the focus could have shifted to the importance of materials for Assemble, whether reused or sourced from nature, for example. However, all of this is present between the lines almost everywhere. The new publication has two thick grey cardboard covers, an open spine and visible binding. The book is robust and looks a little makeshift, which suits Assemble's character. How has the collective changed over the years? 'They are still in the process of finding out,' says Maria.
`Assemble. Building Collective´, Aaron Betsky, hardcover, 352 pages, over 500 illustrations, design: thonik, Thames & Hudson, London 2025
