The next chapter of the first Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield, which originally launched in 2024, has been announced by Paul Smith's Foundation in partnership with Travelodge. This March, the participating designers relocated to a newly built, dedicated studio environment donated and established by Travelodge, situated directly adjacent to Liverpool Street Station in the City of London.

Named SET Broad Street Place, the facility offers six affordable studios alongside additional artist workspaces and cultural initiatives planned to roll out as the venue progresses. Run by London-based arts charity SET in partnership with Paul Smith's Foundation, the initiative is powered by Culture Mile BID and the freeholder, Travelodge. Together, this collaborative partnership has raised the necessary funding for the scheme, establishing a fresh model for cultural placemaking.

Situated at 6 Broad Street Place, the project unites non-profit, cultural, and private sector partners to convert an unutilised building in a prominent part of the capital into a hub for creative enterprises. The scheme highlights how vacant properties can be repurposed to address real demands, giving stability to fashion designers through affordable workspaces while introducing new public cultural activities to the City of London. It represents the shared commitment of the partners to provide affordable central locations and back early-career talent.

Sir Paul Smith, Founder of Paul Smith's Foundation, comments: "I'm very thankful to our new partners supporting the Foundation in making this happen. Affordable space, mentorship and people who genuinely care, that's what will help the next generation to build sustainable businesses and thrive! This is exactly the kind of collaboration we need more of in London and in the UK more broadly."

Designers Pauline Dujancourt, Laura Pitharas, Paolina Russo, Karoline Vitto, and YAKU initially received backing via The Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield during 2024-25. This involved 18 months of rent-free workspace, branding guidance, business planning training, and more than 80 hours of professional mentoring from sector leaders. The initial residency program was established by the Mayor of London, Projekt, and Paul Smith's Foundation, with backing from the City of London Corporation and British GQ. Driven forward by Culture Mile BID, the transition to SET Broad Street Place ensures these designers can maintain their businesses despite escalating rental costs and displacement risks.

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To prepare the building for use, Travelodge provided the property and oversaw a comprehensive refurbishment programme, installing new partitions, heating, flooring, electrical wiring, and digital infrastructure. Arts charity SET will manage and deliver the site, assisting the designers through studio operations, day-to-day management, and future workspace delivery. The agreement secures the site for a minimum of 12 months, with the resident designers only required to cover operational costs and business rates.

The new location expands SET's established network of more than 12 community-led and artist centres across London, which includes multiple operations within the Square Mile and the City of London. SET intends to apply nearly a decade of experience in delivering studios and cultural programmes to create a model focused on continuity, genuine affordability, and inclusivity, directly addressing the financial pressures forcing artists out of the capital.

Roland Fischer-Vousden, co-Founder at SET, comments: "We are pleased to be able to provide high-quality, affordable studios in the City, supporting a group of artists and designers to develop their practices. Using what would otherwise be an empty building to support those who need access to affordable workspace, particularly in central London, forms part of a wider radical intervention to bring inclusive and genuinely affordable spaces back into Zones 1 and 2. A temporary reclamation of sorts which will be an exemplar for a future reshaping of London's cultural landscape."

The project mirrors Travelodge's focus on long-term investment in both people and locations. The hotel brand, which is the UK's first budget hotel line and runs over 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland, and Spain, aims to nurture talent internally through its infrastructure while externally bringing the Broad Street Place property back into active use for the local community.

Steve Bennett, Chief Property Officer at Travelodge, comments: "We are proud to be working with the Paul Smith Foundation, SET and Culture Mile BID to repurpose and utilise this fantastic site in an iconic part of London. The acquisition of 6 Broad Street Place and 15-17 Eldon Street was a significant step in our UK development strategy as we continue to grow and optimise our network. At Travelodge, our purpose is to help people to go and do their thing and by repurposing vacant spaces, we aim to restore their economic value, benefit the local community, and meet the rising demand for quality budget accommodation."

Culture Mile BID serves as the central convener for the project, unlocking the opportunity and ensuring the site integrates into the wider cultural framework of the area. Aligned with its goal to weave creativity into daily life, SET Broad Street Place will connect with the Culture Mile's events schedule to bring accessible, often free cultural events into public spaces.

Andrew Smith, Chair of the Culture Mile BID, comments: "Our work has always focused on increasing accessibility to the arts and fostering collaboration between the public and private sector to achieve this. This project is a fantastic example of how we bring together partners to inject culture into our shared spaces and into the everyday lives of local workers and visitors."

Ultimately, the development acts as a tangible example of public-private collaboration, converting an empty building into a public asset, securing low-cost artist workspaces, and embedding a new cultural feature within the City.

Martha Mosse, Director of Paul Smith's Foundation, comments: "In the past 18 months of the original residency at Smithfield, we have seen these designers grow their businesses at unprecedented pace; tripling in turnover, quadrupling in staff. This next chapter has been created directly in response to the designer's developing needs, combining affordable space, mentorship, and infrastructure to prepare them for the realities of the industry and ensure the growth can be sustained. We're delighted to be working alongside Travelodge, SET and Culture Mile BID, partners who are thoughtful and distinctive in their approach, and whose commitment demonstrates that sustained, responsible support."