Futurecity developed and managed a three-year cultural programme at the Riverlight Project Space in Nine Elms, in partnership with the Royal College of Art and St James (Berkeley Group). Conceived as a meanwhile use of a retail unit on the River Thames, the project aimed to connect a new residential development with the wider cultural ambitions of the Nine Elms regeneration area.
The space hosted a rolling programme of exhibitions, residencies and events led by RCA alumni and researchers, transforming the unit into a site of artistic production and public engagement. It provided an early platform for creative activity in a developing neighbourhood, enabling artists to test ideas and build connections with the local community ahead of permanent cultural infrastructure.
Projects spanned design, fine art, performance and social practice, with a focus on process-led work, experimentation and exchange. Situated at street level, the space operated as both studio and exhibition venue, offering visibility for emerging artists and creating opportunities for dialogue and interaction.
The RCA Riverlight Project Space showed how temporary cultural uses can activate new developments during early phases of occupation, and how partnerships between developers and academic institutions can generate public value through access, creativity and participation.