Tower Hamlets Town Hall, London Borough of Tower Hamlets

The Challenge

We were retained to advise the Council on this ambitious challenge of converting and extending the former Royal London Hospital (listed Grade II) on Whitechapel Road to provide a state-of-the-art new Town Hall and Civic Centre – consolidating
all of the Council’s current services at Mulberry Place and other satellite offices into one purpose-built facility. There was a need to upgrade the listed building sensitively which had become dilapidated after being vacant for a number of years.

The Solution

The proposals (designed by AHMM Architects) include part-demolition, alterations and refurbishment of the former Royal London Hospital and a new ‘Z’ shaped
extension wrapping around the rear. We led a comprehensive programme of pre-application discussions with Tower Hamlets Council, the Greater London
Authority, Historic England and the amenity societies, as well as other local stakeholders and residents. While the majority of the listed building was retained,
the Grocer’s Wing was largely demolished, with a new building constructed behind retained façades.

The Results

A comprehensive redevelopment of over 27,000 sq m creating a new highly accessible public building with ‘local presence’ functions at ground floor including the Committee Chamber, library, café, public meeting rooms and drop-in centre, with council offices above accommodated both within the retained and upgraded
listed building and rear extension. The new town hall, which would employ around 3,000 staff, puts council services under one roof, directly adjacent to Whitechapel
Station and the Elizabeth Line in the heart of the borough.