David Adjaye’s £15 million Bernie Grant Arts Centre opened today in Tottenham, north London. The centre was proposed by the late Bernie Grant, who represented Tottenham in parliament before he died in 2000.

The 3,700sq m complex, which aims to help expand the participation of black and minority ethnic communities in performing and production roles in the arts, media and broadcasting, has three elements.

The Hub, which stands behind the grade II listed facade of a Victorian bathhouse and retains its original chimney, houses the administrative facilities.

The main building sits behind this and features a canopy of purpleheart timber, and dark brown aluminium cladding. The performance space seats 300, with an additional 70-seat studio space, and a café, dance and sound studios. The Enterprise Building, clad in brown slate, contains work spaces for local businesses. A new public plaza links the centre with the nearby College of North East London.