Artists have taken over a former Dominos pizza outlet before the building is demolished nad turned into a boutique hotel.

KOPPEL Project, which temporarily moves into empty properties pending sale or redevelopment, has also installed artists' studios and gallery space in the old Hampstead Police Station.

The charity's latest venture KOPPEL Collective in Chalk Farm will feature a community art gallery, lifestyle boutique, and space for local group Camden Black Creatives in what used to be a pizza take-away and Feng Sushi restaurant.

Ham & High: Plans for a seven and four storey boutique hotel at the corner of Regent's Park Road and Adelaide Road were approved by Camden Council in 2021.Plans for a seven and four storey boutique hotel at the corner of Regent's Park Road and Adelaide Road were approved by Camden Council in 2021. (Image: Piercy and Company)

The 'creative hub for artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs' at 155-157 Regent's Park Road is opposite Chalk Farm Tube station, on a site which has been granted planning permission for a part four-story, part seven-storey 59-room boutique hotel with roof terrace and ground floor bar.

An "official partner" to the neighbouring Roundhouse, the hotel say developers Uchaux Limited and architects Piercy & Company is "designed to offer short stays for a young, energetic crowd looking to enjoy Camden’s local attractions".

Plans include revamping the space outside the hotel with paving inspired by artist Michael English’s posters from the 1960s when Camden was at centre of the experimental music scene.

KOPPEL Collective spokesman Art Haxhijakupi said they were expecting to remain until next summer: "We look for locations all the time because we have such a big artists' commuity who are looking for studios - we currently have about 1,000 artists on our waiting lists.

Ham & High: Judith Walker's work in progress installation Gutted is part of the next exhibition at KOPPEL Station the project run by the charity in the former Hampstead Police station. Judith Walker's work in progress installation Gutted is part of the next exhibition at KOPPEL Station the project run by the charity in the former Hampstead Police station. (Image: Judith Walker)

"We find some of the buildings in unsuitable conditions - some with no running water or electricity - and make them habitable and suitable for artists to work. That involves lots of cleaning, painting, removing things and seeing what can be repurposed like a kitchen for artists to use."

KOPPEL is currently fitting out the upper floors as studio spaces and turning the ground floor former take-away into a gallery space for community exhibitions, while providing an "affordable space for a Camden based business" to run a lifestyle boutique in the adjoining unit on Adelaide Road.

Camden Black Creatives is a network of artists and producers of African heritage, whose mission is to promote Black art and cultures.

"It means a lot for us to collaborate with CBC," added Art.

"We have been waiting for a new venue to offer them more studio space, we will hopefully diversify our studio spaces through this collaboration."

So far 17 artists are moving into the building with a grand opening planned for the first weekend of September.

"It's a very creative community vibe," added Art.

"The idea is that artists pay an affordable price in Central London instead of being pushed to the outskirts of the city."