Glass House London: an intersectional space for creatives and communities to thrive.

CREATIVES! – Looking for a community centred bookshop, café, multi-media creative space, AND bar/restaurant, all under one roof? Glass House London has it all.

We met with one of the team members, Aisha Shaibu, who is also the Founder of Moonlight Experiences, a platform dedicated to the celebration of Queer culture; and Head of Community Engagement at UK Black Pride. Before our meeting, I had some time to walk around the new venue and was completely struck by the vibrance of the space – from the colorful decor to the vast array of books and artwork. Only five minutes away from Shoreditch’s Boxpark and Rich Mix, Glass House London is divided into three spaces, the Common Press, which is the bookshop and café; The Commons, which is the multimedia creative space; and The Common Counter, which is their restaurant & bar. 

It’s a lot to take in, I know! In reality, the space is much more than words could ever express but I’m going to try and give you a written tour and exclusive insight into the creative’s dream space.

To begin, we have the high-street facing Common Press, which is easily identifiable by a colorful window display that opens into the vibrant café and bookshop. A perfect duo, as you can choose from their selection of over 15,000 books focusing on trans inclusion, feminism, politics, and sociology, whilst sipping on a banging iced latte complemented by a delectable homemade syrup. Aside from the books, you can also browse their range of art prints and creative merchandise sourced from local, emerging creatives. 

A mini-exploration of all the products lead you through a door that takes you to either their restaurant and bar; or podcasting studio and downstairs multimedia creative space. The choice is yours! The restaurant is currently still in development so expect a follow-up foody review *side-eye. But you’re welcome to grab a drink and some chilled co-working vibes.

That being said we’ll venture into the podcasting studio, which is visible from the cafe/bookshop via a gorgeous full-width window. This feature holds not only aesthetic appeal but also complements the fact that studio users can choose to broadcast their podcasts live onto the shop floor, allowing events such as panel discussions or meet and greets to command an extra level of attention. 

Speaking of events, the final part of our tour takes us downstairs to the multi-media creative space, which is pretty much self-explanatory. Completely transformable, from a dance studio to an intimate music venue, The Commons has everything you need with a willing team ready to help make your ideas come to life. 

As we’ve now come to the end of our virtual tour, I hope I painted enough of a picture of Glass House London, that you’ll consider paying a trip down to the venue.

The space is available every day for private hire.

The Common Press is open, 10:00 am – 7 pm,

The Common Counter: Tuesday – Sunday 12:30 pm – 11:00 pm.  

Till next time