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Soaring land prices in London abandoned huts "transformed" into bars and cafes

Published: 2026-04-26 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/04/26, Land prices in the British capital London have soared year after year, making some almost forgotten corners enjoy the treatment of an inch of land. In order to generate income, the City of London has introduced a lot of rentable alternative public spaces to the market in recent years, including abandoned subway stations and abandoned public toilets. Because of the relatively low rent, these alternative spaces are welcomed by the market and are rented and transformed into bars and coffees.

Land prices in the British capital London have soared year after year, making some almost forgotten corners also enjoy the treatment of "every inch of land". In order to generate income, the City of London has introduced a lot of rentable alternative public spaces to the market in recent years, including abandoned subway stations and abandoned public toilets. Because of the relatively low rent, these alternative spaces are welcomed by the market and are rented and transformed into bars, cafes and so on. Some consumers said it was "good" to drink in a "toilet bar".

New trend of "waste utilization"

After the second World War, many public toilets built in the 19th century in London have been abandoned and have not been reused for decades.

Jack Manjun's bar opened in July and rented an abandoned underground public toilet in Clapham, south London. In order to maintain the "original flavor" of history, Manqiong named the bar "WC", retaining the original pattern of the toilet, only decorating the bar table and so on. However, the old urinal is no longer in use, but is displayed as an ornament in the bar bathroom.

Manjun, 34, said the London city government had been seeking to "use all the free space to make a profit". The space area similar to the toilet is not bad, and the rent is much lower than that of the traditional place because of the alternative.

Katie Harris, a 30-year-old female designer, also rented an abandoned public toilet near Hackney, a fashionable London district, last year and named it "convenience", which operates as a restaurant and a bar during the day and night. Unlike Manqiong, Harris made more changes to the original space, removed all the yellowed urinals that affected vision, and then spent several days scrubbing the rest of the facilities until they revealed the true color of ceramics.

She explained that she did not "deny that this used to be a toilet", but worried that the pattern would still make consumers feel "too much like being in a toilet".

Rachel Eriksson, who studies the use of public toilets in London, told Agence France-Presse that there has been "a recent trend" to convert abandoned toilets into other public places.

Drinking coffee "feels good"

For many owners, the motivation to lease and renovate abandoned sites is not only the low rent, but also the precipitation of history.

Harris said that the "convenient" ancient architectural pattern is a challenge for her design major, attracting her to rent the site. "it is of great significance to protect these places and let them serve the community."

Ryan de Oliveira, who made the toilet into a coffee shop, said the transformation "gave new life to previously abandoned sites and crossed boundaries".

De Oliveira also retained the toilet culture in his coffee shop called waiter, transforming the reservoir into a flower bed, and the urinal remained in its original appearance after cleaning and repair.

"the coffee tastes very good, the environment here is good, and it's still the same place," said one customer.

At the "WC" bar, Philip, a 35-year-old customer, believes that keeping the old look makes the bar "more attractive" and "gives people a comfortable feeling and no bad smell. Everything is good. I like it."

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