YouTube Opens New London Space — Featuring First-Ever Creator Merch Store (Photos)

YouTube Space London has a new home. The newly relocated facility opened its doors today in the King’s Cross area of central London. YouTube’s Space in London was previously housed within Google’s Soho offices, though the reopening coincides with parent company Google’s move to a new headquarters in King’s Cross as well.

The new 20,000-square-foot Space was two years in the making and now represents the biggest YouTube Space in all of Europe. It will house three fully-equipped studios and sound stages, a range of 360 and VR cameras, and 4K screening facilities, YouTube says. In a global first, the Space will enable creators to live stream 4K content directly to YouTube.

And in yet another twist on its Spaces program, the YouTube Space London will feature the very first creator store that’s open to the public and stocked with merchandise for purchase. The intention here, YouTube explains, is to educate YouTubers about licensing their own products — and the store could also serve as an event space for fan meetups during future product launches.

Prominent U.K.-based YouTubers Marcus Butler, Niomi Smart

, Casper Lee, and Louise Pentland walked the red carpet to inaugurate the new Space this morning. (Check out some photos below). As with all of its nine Spaces across the globe, YouTube says the purpose of the program is to teach budding and accomplished creators production and audience development skills, as well as to provide free equipment and networking opportunities.

“The huge breadth of talent creating content on YouTube in the U.K. speaks to a hugely vibrant and dynamic creative community,” said YouTube’s director in EMEA, Ben McOwen Wilson, in a statement. “As the biggest Space in Europe, the YouTube Space London is a reflection of the coming-of-age of this community and an investment in its future success.”

YouTube says that 26,000 people have used the YouTube Space London since its launch in 2012, and that videos created at the space have clocked a total of 328 million views.