About

Sugar House Island has been brought together by a cosmopolitan team of designers, architects and planners. Once complete the development will deliver 1,200 new homes, 624,000 sq ft of office space, 40,000 sq ft of retail, 2 new bridges, a hotel and a new primary school. The first phase of the Island, Dane's Yard, completed in 2020 offering a collection of 8 distinctive buildings for office and commercial uses. Since then, two phases of residential have complete, and a further 220,000 sq ft of office and retail space will complete in September 2023. Sugar House Island’s growing community now includes over 700 residents, and 14 creative businesses who have set roots here in east London.

A rich history

Sugar House Island has a rich industrial heritage which is evidenced today throughout the development. Reclaimed Victorian era warehouses have been retrofit for modern uses including Jim & Tonic’s gin distillery, bar and restaurant, The Talent House’s dance and recording studios and contemporary apartments in The Sugar House. Two industrial era chimneys were carefully dismantled when construction began, taken away for cleaning and have now been rebuilt in their original footprint using the same bricks. Subtle nods to the site's history can be found throughout, from the materials and colour pallets of new buildings, to the naming of streets and yards. The industries that have operated here throughout history include textile and ink manufacturing, sugar refinery, soap makers and Gin distillery.

The Talent House

The Talent House is a new, state-of-the-art creative hub at Sugar House Island, for next generation of music and dance professionals, supported by the Mayor of London. The Talent House was co-commissioned by East London Dance and leading talent development and National Youth Music Organisation, UD.
An engine room for creativity, the hub equips young underrepresented talent in east London, to become the next generation of music and dance professionals by providing free and affordable access to world class facilities and expert vocational training. The Talent House allows us to reach new audiences, alongside facilitating collaboration between young people and early career creative practitioners and producers.

Designed award-winning architect Katy Marks from Citizens Design Bureau, the three-storey building housed in an historic warehouse with a modern extension comprises two dance studios, five music production/recording studios, a live room and two vocal booths, a large flexible rehearsal/events space and a tech lab for education and training. The design also includes a co-working space for artists and members, and a central atrium functioning as the main reception and multi-use space for dance jams and informal gigs.

Jim & Tonic’s Sustainable Urban Distillery

In 2022, Jim & Tonic decided to make Sugar House Island its home. As a London based company that proudly embraces its Urban Spirit, it needed a location that offered the space, infrastructure, and opportunity for them to develop new, innovative, and sustainable solutions to Spirit Production.
For Jim & Tonic, a sustainable approach is not just about the environment, emissions, and resources, but about building a community - giving back, and forming part of the everyday lives of our neighbours - in a way that benefits everyone. Reuse, reduce, recycle has always been one of their mottos, and for that reason a lot of the decor, furniture and construction materials have been upcycled.
Join Jim & Tonic for tours of the gin distillery and guided tasting sessions, as well as music, fun and festivities throughout the day.