The Dungeons, Lea Bridge Road
15th March 2024 2024-03-17 13:37The Dungeons, Lea Bridge Road
Rendezvous Projects has been working with Brain Records and DJ Dlux, funded by Mayor of London Untold Stories, to capture and record some of the previously undocumented history of The Dungeons, an influential nightclub in the 1980s and 1990s on Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London.
The Dungeons was in the arches underneath Lea Bridge Road, accessed via Lammas Road and via the Greyhound pub at 91 Lea Bridge Road. The first recorded rave nights were around 1987. It closed in 1994. It reopened at various points but remains closed.
Test and learn approach
The grant from Mayor of London was specifically to test new ways of working, aiming to find new mediums for surfacing untold stories. Below outlines some of the ways we have tested gathering new content.
Photogrammetry
We worked with VR artist Sean Rodrigo and Hi3 Network, Southbank University to 3D map the brick arches under Lea Bridge Road, taking over 4,000 photographs of the former club. Developer Oluwafemi Lamusa then created a model, hosted on Sketchfab which allows you to explore the space.
Please note – this is currently crashing when viewed on certain phones.
Volumetric capture & AR
At Hi3’s studio in Maidstone we used their 3D filming suite to capture a dancer, and worked with developer Oluwafemi Lamusa to turn it into an AR experience. Our proposition is to place this experience outside the former club, with access to it provided by QR codes with the aim of illuminating the history to passers by.
- Android App: Download the Android test app here.
- iPhone App: There’s a test version to try here.
AR app
Capturing footage
Oral histories
We collected new oral histories and editing some of our existing oral histories for specific references to The Dungeons.
Flyers
Flyers from The Dungeons – many, courtesy of Phatmedia
Walk through
Bizzy B takes a tour through The Dungeons
