Up on the roof

The Elephant and Castle isn't where you expect to find one of London's coolest dance spaces. But a red-brick building halfway between the chaos of the Elephant intersection and the Imperial War Museum is where innovative choreographer and dancer Siobhan Davies has made her base. I discovered the place thanks to my Pilates-teacher friend Denise, who organised a weekend workshop in one of its studios.

Light floods into windows at the rear 

Arriving on a cloudy grey Sunday morning, our mood was lifted by the landscape inside this unassuming exterior – layers of plaster stripped back to expose the bones of the old building, flashes of colour in pillars and planters providing a bright, contemporary contrast. The main stairway seemed to be suspended, hanging by cables from the roof above, while robust metal windows framed the view and allowed light to stream into the central atrium.

Stairway to heaven

Textural intrigue

But it was in the Roof Studio that architect Sarah Wigglesworth rolled out the most inspiring element in her award-winning design. As we took our places on the grey-lino covered sprung floor, we were able to gaze up at a sensuously undulating wooden ceiling, where curvy south-facing glass panels made the most of the daylight.

A hands-down winner

I wondered how it would feel to dance high above the hustle and bustle of the city. It certainly gave our Pilates practice added stimulation, we reflected afterwards, as we drank herbal tea and munched on Denise's delicious home-made flapjacks.