The future of the UK’s film industry relies on considered design

As the UK’s film industry goes from strength to strength, demands on developers and architects to build more sector infrastructure continue to grow. By 2026, an additional 6m sq ft of purpose-built studio space will be needed in the UK to meet the needs of the sector, and considered design is crucial to ensure this strong pipeline is delivered.

The industry’s optimistic outlook is reflected in Titanic director James Cameron’s recent backing of the new proposals for Marlow Film Studios, which are due to be built on the site of a former quarry.

Traditionally, the UK has been a popular location for film productions, owing to its tax incentives and diverse landscape. In 2020, the country embarked on significant investment in purpose-built studio facilities, when the British Film Commission received a £4.8m government boost to expand its efforts in promoting the UK as a preferred destination for studio investment.

The UK has significantly expanded its studio and stage infrastructure since 2022 to meet the increasing demand of major US studios and streaming platforms. This growth in investment has led to an extraordinary rise in the number of proposals for new studios and the expansion of existing facilities. But sadly, many current spaces show little concern for design quality and do not foster any value for surrounding communities.

Film studios typically exhibit a rather bland aesthetic, comprising several large industrial buildings with minimal fenestration, interspersed with smaller-scale, often temporary, support buildings. This doesn’t provide a particularly inspiring backdrop for industry professionals or add benefit to the public. Spaces like this need to be looked at in a wider context, responding to the towns and cities in which they’re located.

We’ve addressed this ongoing issue in one of WilkinsonEyre’s latest projects for Marlow Film Studios in Buckingshire, where we’ve sought to create a studio complex that embodies a genuine ‘sense of place’. The brief was clear – to design the premier film studio complex in the UK, one that everyone involved in the film industry would prefer to use. In contrast to many existing facilities, this scheme showcases buildings of differing scale and type, which are set amongst extensively landscaped streets and open space.

As production activity continues to increase, the country must meet the growing demand for prime film studio space. Much like prime office space, amenities are increasingly important for film studios. For this reason, Marlow Film Studios has been split into several ‘clusters’, each with its own amenity buildings serving those who work on the site. Smaller-scale workshops and offices have then been strategically positioned to aid the screening of the larger studio buildings. These amenities not only add to the capital return for the developer but are vital in promoting employee wellbeing and opportunities and aiding the creation of new jobs in the sector.

These developments can’t be looked at in isolation however. The design has to respond to its surroundings while also giving back to the public. Interconnectivity is crucial in fostering local support for a new development and ensuring it fits into the landscape, which is why we’ve added numerous public routes across the site. This allows members to view inside the studio complex and gain a sense of the activities going on within, while providing variety and green space to the ‘townscape’ created.

The nature of filmmaking sees peaks and troughs of activity, with most productions occupying parts of developments for fixed tenures. Flexible design is important to accommodating this, while also ensuring year-round activity. Certain areas of the Marlow scheme are intended for occupation by businesses, particularly those that provide support to film production.

UK studio space is being recognised as an increasingly valuable asset for investors and developers, but with the extensive industry requirements and complexity of the day-to-day delivery of productions, flexible and sensitive design is essential.

Timely investment of the type used to fund the Marlow Film Studio – at the right scale in the right place – will complement other developments across the UK and ensure the continued upward trajectory of this creative sector.