The power of meaningful meanwhile use
In towns and cities across the UK, empty buildings and plots of land are an inevitable part of the urban cycle. But vacancy doesn’t have to mean decline. At Tangram, we see meanwhile use, the temporary activation of empty spaces, as a powerful tool for placemaking, cultural vibrancy and community value. When done well, it can be far more than a stopgap. It can change the way people experience a place, spark long-term opportunity and leave a lasting legacy.
But what does “done well” look like? To answer this, we look to two organisations shaping the field, Hypha Studios and Meanwhile Space and reflect on what best practice really means.
From vacancy to vitality: Hypha Studios
For Hypha Studios, meanwhile use isn’t just a question of filling gaps. As CEO Camilla Cole puts it, their mission is to “ignite communities and foster creativity through the strategic, thoughtful application of meanwhile use.”
Their projects range from transforming an 8,000 sq ft former Sainsbury’s in East Village into a buzzing cultural hub, to converting small high street units into creative studios. The results are tangible: over 2,000 artists supported, more than 1,700 events hosted and 34,000+ people welcomed into spaces that would otherwise have stood empty.
Hypha’s success lies in deep collaboration, with landlords, councils, and local communities, ensuring projects don’t parachute in something alien but instead celebrate existing local culture. Crucially, every artist in their spaces delivers public programming, from workshops to performances, free and open to all. This avoids the trap of “art-washing” and ensures cultural activation is genuinely for and with the community.
Hypha Studios, East Village, Stratford © Hypha Studios
Navigating challenges
Bringing these visions to life has not been without hurdles. In the early days, gaining traction with the commercial property sector meant proving the value of these temporary artists spaces: showing landlords cost savings (such as business rates relief), demonstrating community benefit, and building credibility through case studies. Their collaborative approach, bringing landlords, councils, and communities into the artist selection process, has been vital for trust and local embedding.
Challenges remain, from the risks of short-termism for artists, to the danger of superficial “activation.” Hypha addresses this by making cultural programming non-negotiable and positioning their spaces as incubators, stepping stones that help artists secure commissions, build portfolios, and move into paid studios.
Meanwhile Space: defining best practice
Meanwhile Space has been making the case for temporary use for over 15 years. Their insight is clear: meanwhile use is not a “product” or a quick fix involving shipping containers dropped into place. It is a tool for citymaking that can serve many purposes, from driving footfall and retail incubation to creating affordable space for artists or connecting residents with nature.
The Blue House Yard Community, Meanwhile Space
For them, best practice starts with three principles:
Time: Considering the full lifecycle of a project, from launch to exit, so spaces don’t feel abandoned or overstretched.
Space: Addressing issues of spatial justice and ensuring projects benefit the wider neighbourhood, not just a select few.
Sustainability: Prioritising reuse of existing buildings and salvaged materials rather than short-lived, throwaway structures.
At the heart of Meanwhile Space’s work is the spirit of collaboration. Their most successful projects are those that respond to local needs, offer a mix of uses - creativity, wellbeing, retail, work and growing - and embed accountability through impact measurement.
Jen Storan, project director at Meanwhile Space says: “For us, meanwhile use is ultimately about relationships between people, place, and time. When collaboration thrives, spaces become shared experiments in how a city can work better for everyone. But when that balance breaks down and risk or power is pushed unevenly, the value of meanwhile use is lost.
Best practice, then, isn’t just a checklist of principles. It’s a commitment to fairness, care, and creativity, to using these temporary moments to leave a lasting, positive mark.”
Tangram’s perspective: What makes meanwhile use successful?
We see meaningful meanwhile use as a balancing act between ambition and humility. It’s about creating moments of surprise, connection and joy, but doing so in a way that is responsive, inclusive and sustainable.
For us, the conditions for success are clear:
Community-first: The most impactful projects emerge when local people shape and deliver them, rather than being passive beneficiaries.
Cross-sector collaboration: Property owners, councils, cultural organisations, and communities all have a role to play. Trust and transparency are non-negotiable.
Sustainability in practice: Reuse, repair and resourcefulness should underpin design and delivery. This is especially urgent in the climate crisis.
A legacy mindset: Even temporary projects can create lasting value, building skills, strengthening networks, boosting confidence, and reshaping how people see a place. While the space itself may be temporary, its impact doesn’t have to be. Supporting people to transition beyond the project, by helping them rehome their work, sustain their networks, and continue to grow, is essential to ensuring that meanwhile use leaves a genuine, long-term benefit for the community.
When these elements come together, meanwhile use is more than a stopgap. It’s a catalyst for urban resilience, creativity, and social value.
The takeaway
As high streets and urban centres continue to evolve, the question is no longer whether to embrace meanwhile use, but how to do it well. By learning from pioneers like Hypha Studios and Meanwhile Space and by committing to collaboration, sustainability, and community benefit, we can ensure these temporary activations make a permanent difference.
