The Artisan Underground

The Artisan Underground is an ongoing thesis project by Natalie Aldridge, developed as part of her Master’s in Interior Design at the Royal College of Art. The brief: reimagine 15 Westferry Circus, a largely abandoned postmodern structure by Sir Terry Farrell in Canary Wharf. Rather than approaching the task as a traditional redevelopment, Natalie constructed an imagined future that blends world-building, storytelling, and spatial design.

Set in the year 2062, The Artisan Underground takes place in a transformed London, reshaped by the unchecked rise of AI, the collapse of financial institutions, and an overwhelming surge in housing costs. In this speculative future, Canary Wharf—once a glimmering beacon of modernity—has faded into obsolescence. It is here that six bohemian artisans, each a master of their craft, take up residence in the abandoned shell of 15 Westferry Circus. What was once a monument to corporate sterility becomes a sanctuary of slowness, soul, and skill.

Through layered interiors, adaptive reuse, and an unapologetically romantic vision, Natalie reimagines the building as a living atelier, a place where art, utility, and narrative collide. The Artisan Underground is not just a speculative design project; it is a call to arms for the value of beauty, the necessity of the handmade, and the radical potential of imagination.