The rent is too damn high in London, with creatives saying their inability to find affordable studio space in the city is crushing innovation across a range of industries. London is in the midst of a historic housing crisis that has seen the median rent skyrocket while the city struggles to accommodate the roughly 100,000 new residents arriving each year. As space gets harder to come by, old buildings claimed by artists, musicians and designers as studios get bought out and converted to condos, a phenomenon that?s also sweeping untold numbers of other cities around the world. What?s a struggling creative to do" Two architects have dreamed up an intriguing concept that offers a practical solution and a protest all wrapped up in one.

The Minima Moralia by Tomaso Boano and Jonas Prismontas s a highly compact standalone structure with a steel frame, ridged translucent plastic walls and particle board floors and furniture. The walls fold up on all sides to open the studio to the air, and the interior contains lots of shelving to store tools and materials. Made of all inexpensive and readily available materials, the studio is designed to be replicated by any creative who needs their own space to work, and could be placed in any number of disused urban spaces, from parking lots to rooftops. The prototype is currently on Dalston Roof Park for the month-long London Festival of Architecture, with working artists setting up inside as onlookers watch.
The transparent design gi...