The 108 at Brent Cross Town, London Borough of Barnet for Related Argent and Barnet Council

The 108 at Brent Cross Town, London Borough of Barnet for Related Argent and Barnet Council

 

Located in Brent Cross Town, The 108 is London’s first indoor, all-weather baseball and softball facility, providing a unique community asset within a rapidly transforming neighbourhood. 

 

 

Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people.

 

Brent Cross Town (by Related Argent & Barnet Council) is a £8bn, 180-acre visionary mixed-use neighbourhood in North London and, one of Europe’s largest regeneration projects. Once complete the park town will boast more than 6,700 new homes, complemented by 3 million sq. ft. of office space, three redeveloped schools, a new thriving high street lined with restaurants and shops and its key USP – over 50 acres of green parks and playing fields. The local population is diverse, with new and existing residents, workers, and visitors drawn from across Barnet and beyond. The neighbourhood is evolving, aiming to promote participation in sport and play, and drive community engagement. The opening of Claremont Park in 2022 signalled the start of a new chapter for public life in the area, but with much of the green space and amenities still in development, Related Argent wanted to introduce a meanwhile use that delivered on its pledge to drive active participation in sport and play. The 108 addresses this need—serving as a vibrant, accessible leisure space that brings together people of all ages and backgrounds. By introducing baseball and softball to the community, The 108 has helped to create a focal point for sport and play in London, supporting Brent Cross Town’s pledge to enhance urban life and offer opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
 

Tell us what you did and how the project, event or installation enlivened the place in a creative way? 

 

Sitting a mere steps from the new Brent Cross West Thameslink station, an unassuming 40,000 sq ft metal shed awaited its renaissance. 
 
In collaboration with Michael Wakelam and Maxwell Trautman—two passionate visionaries for British baseball—and with invaluable backing from Major League Baseball, we set out to bring ‘America’s national pastime’ to the heart of London. This was more than just a sporting initiative; it was a response to swelling UK interest, where over 20,000 players now participate and last summer’s MLB London Series drew a remarkable 110,000 fans.
 
Our ambition was bold: to craft a full-sized, multi-generational infield for both baseball and softball. Realising this vision demanded ingenuity—engineers installed a 37-tonne truss and removed three substantial steel columns, unlocking a vast, flexible space. Sustainability was woven into every detail: steel from old roller shutters was repurposed, and every countertop was fashioned from reclaimed maple flooring, a subtle nod to the wood of classic baseball bats.
 
Today, The 108 is a trailblazing complex: four dual-purpose batting cages, two pitching lanes, and a world-class infield. Our partnership with MLB delivers leading-edge technology—virtual hitting in iconic stadiums, HitTrax simulation for real-time performance metrics—and the UK’s only MLB merchandise store via Marucci Sports, offering fans an unmatched retail experience.
 
This year, answering the UK’s padel boom, we introduced brand new courts—drawing over 2,000 players in the first month alone. The 108 is now a creative, inclusive destination, continually energising Brent Cross Town and redefining leisure for all.

 

Did the project make a positive social and environmental contribution? If it was a temporary intervention, is there a legacy plan? What happened to its tenants, users, materials and programming?

 

Throughout the construction phase, we embraced an environmentally conscious ethos by repurposing existing materials - transforming surplus steel from former roller shutters and crafting all our counter tops from reclaimed maple flooring. Not only does this sustainable approach lend striking visual appeal, but the use of maple, the very wood favoured for baseball bats, brings a meaningful and authentic connection to the sport at the heart of our facility’s design.

 

The 108 has also supported our social value ambitions through various events which have engaged the community’s secondary schools. This includes hosting a large multi-sports event for 250 children in the area. Local residents have attended community days where they have experienced baseball, encouraging greater physical activity and enhancing overall wellbeing. We are also currently designing a programme in conjunction with MLB to accelerate participation with local schools and communities. To date, almost 10,000 people have trained, played and tried baseball and softball at the facility, including youth teams, GB teams of various age groups in both baseball and softball, European teams and youth development academies for Baseball Softball UK and Major League Baseball. The impact has been far reaching with more baseball and softball training and development taking place in London than ever before. This year, padel facilities, were incorporated responding to the growing demand for one of the world’s biggest new sports. With its combination of leisure and restaurants, The 108 is the first facility of its kind in Europe.