On Friday (1 March) I was invited to the ‘topping out’ ceremony of Hat House by longstanding clients Luton Cultural Trust.
Hat House is a former hat factory of historical significance in Luton that is currently is being fully renovated into contemporary work spaces for the creative industries as part of Luton Culture’s Hat District Project, a major development of three historic hat factories in the Hat District for creative, design, tech and digital businesses.
‘Topping out’ is a ceremony to mark the point when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction, and this was done by the Mayor of Luton, watched on by funders, supporters and those involved in delivering this exciting project.
As the Hat District evaluator, it was great to talk to the architects, the client team and some of the businesses that will take up space in Hat House about the progress thus far, and their expectations of the future.
It was great to be involved, and to get to wear a hard hat and boots!
Jonathan Durnin Research 