Gasworks, a staple of London’s young art scene, will reopen to the public on September 24, after purchasing its freehold and undergoing a major redevelopment by award-winning British architects HAT Projects.

The non-profit institution, which closed for renovations last December, runs an ambitious program of international residencies, artist studios, and exhibitions.

Gasworks secured ownership of the south London venue, where it has been based for the last 20 years, after a protracted fundraising process. The £2.1 million ($3.2 million) project received a £1.2 million ($1.8 million) grant from Arts Council England, as well as donations from a number of trusts, foundations, and individuals.

Renowned Gasworks Alumni—including Turner Prize winner Chris Ofili, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Seb Patane, and Goshka Macuga—also contributed by donating works to a fundraising auction hosted by Christie’s London in 2013, which raised over £200,000. A Kickstarter campaign curated by Art Basel was launched in October 2014.

“Gasworks for me was a studio, a home, a friend’s house…a college,” said artist, former studio holder, and Gasworks’ trustee Alexandre da Cunha. “On top of it, Gasworks does a really good job of bringing artists from different countries together, establishing a really rich dialogue between what’s happening in London and abroad.”

The unveiling of the space will be accompanied by an exhibition of newly commissioned work by emerging South African artist Kemang Wa Lehulere. Artists-in-residence Grace Weinrib (Chile), Desire Machine Collective (India), Andrea Canepa (Peru), and Rubén Grilo (Spain) will host an open studio event on September 26.

Rendering of the new exhibition spaces of Gasworks, south London
Photo: Courtesy Gasworks