The former Tooley Street fire station built in Victorian Gothic Revival style in 1879 is now listed Grade II, and was in use until the late 1920s. Keith Williams Architects carried out the complete restoration of the main facade, building fabric and roof, re-building the demolished upper storey of the original Watch Tower and chimney, re-instating the lost windows to the base of the Watch Tower and adding of a series of new wings of contemporary design.
The new elements are expressed very clearly in a metallic anodised aluminium panel system composed in a pared down simple manner to create a deliberate counterpoint to the ornate decorative qualities of the 19th century architecture which, despite the building’s original utilitarian purpose, was nevertheless celebrated as an important neo-gothic public building.
The new wings expand the floor plates to achieve a greater degree of viability and the ground level restaurant has achieved numerous plaudits for its quality. The architectural team worked closely with English Heritage to agree the extent and manner of restoration to ensure that this important early Fire Station building could be brought into useful new activity preserving the core elements this early exemplar of early municipal fire station architecture.
Client : LB2 Ltd London
Budget : Confidential
Area : 1,875m2
