On the Southside of the River Thames between Battersea and Albert Bridges sits a collection of Victorian buildings; formerly a dairy, latterly a tile kiln, its reincarnation as creative hub Testbed1 was conceived by Prof. Will Alsop OBE RA in 2009, over a glass of wine with the owner. Testbed1 is now a meeting point for surrounding creatives such as the Royal College of Art, Vivienne Westwood and Foster & Partners. It houses The Doodle Bar, Edge of Arabia Gallery, Squint/Opera, a whiskey distillery, Street Kitchen and a mix of start-ups and established small businesses. A programme of events; exhibitions, film location services and hosted talks has emerged that attracts around 3,000 visitors each week. Street Kitchen provides gourmet food in a box; London Distillery is producing the first gin to be made in London for 100 years, Edge of Arabia brings contemporary art from the Middle East and world champion fighter Barry McGuigan has built a boxing ring and practice gym next to the ‘Yard’. Will encourages community engagement and collaboration and in 2013 created ‘The Beach’ an al-fresco, riverside bar and dining area to which locals flock to share wine, food and ideas.