Village Raw - ISSUE 9

VILLAGE RAW
BRIGHT ORANGE TILES
Village Raw visits Crouch End’s Hornsey Town Hall, the UK’s
first major modernist building, to check in on the restoration
and construction work.
Words and photos by David Reeve.
In our time in the Town Hall we grew to love the building – even
with its numerous leaks and broken toilets. We were sad to leave
at the end of June 2019 and have been wondering since how the
works are proceeding. We had the chance to visit last November
- just as a meeting and site visit with Haringey Council, Historic
England and the developer’s project team was coming to an end.
The meeting had taken place in the committee room where
there was already evidence of the work underway. For example, a
small patch of the chamber’s wall was brighter than the surrounding
veneer. “Back in the day, when it was council offices, everyone
used to smoke,” says Joe Pitt, construction director for contractor
Ardmore. And it’s not only the wall that has been tested: “We
cleaned a small section of cork flooring about a month ago – totally
different. It’s about what it was like back in the day,” says Joe.
As they continue to explore and investigate architect Reginald
Uren’s building the team are constantly discovering new
things. Whether it’s the realisation of how the veneer in the
assem bly hall was not prefabricated but cut and applied in situ,
the discovery of a hidden room containing a safe (nothing in it),
or how the wooden counters of the cashiers’ booth (which was in
the Ply Gallery) concealed the original bright orange tiles. As Joe
reminds us: “The intention is not to change anything…”
Haringey Council and Heritage England are on site to examine the
progress. “Prior to the work proceeding everything has to be signed
off by the London Borough of Haringey and us,” says Claire Brady
of Historic England. The council’s conservation officer Elisabetta
Tonazzi agrees: “These meetings are to ensure that works are carried
out sympathetically.”
“We think there’s going to be around 200 methodologies,” says
Joe. “Stone, cork board, different variances of the timber work.”
This stage is going to take approximately 12 months to complete
which means the building work hasn’t begun in earnest yet. “At the
moment it’s 90% planning, discussion and methodologies, and 10%
construction - and slowly that will turn the other way,” says Joe.
FEC’s Project Director Doris Lam has also sat in on all the
meetings. “The building is on the ‘at risk register’,” she says. “And
in order to de-risk it, it’s not only about refurbishing, it’s also looking
at how the building can be looked after and can sustain itself
going into the future.”
Last year Historic England granted permissions for the change
of use to a mixed use scheme comprising an Arts Centre, a hotel,
food and beverage facilities, community uses and co-working
space. Works also included the rebuilding of the east wing roof
extensions to a new design and the erection of new residential
blocks at the rear of the Town Hall.
With the restoration taking the building back to its former glory,
we wondered how the additional elements would fit in. Make Architects
were keen to point out that the hotel interiors would take
inspiration from the 1930s Art Deco features within the Town Hall.
“A simple materials palette of timber, metal and stone,” explains
Regine Kandan, the lead architect. “The hotel rooms will also feature
herringbone patterned parquet flooring, sympathetic to the
flooring in other areas of the building.”
The plan is for the hotel to operate in synergy with the other
aspects of the building - the Arts Centre, restaurant and co-working
spaces. “Guests will enjoy and participate in many of the arts
centre’s programmed uses such as shows in the theatre, events
in the supper room or a wedding in the council chamber,” says
Andrew Major, Head of Space + Community for the Arts Centre
operator, The TIME + SPACE Co. “The restaurant and rooftop bar
will be open to all - guests and visitors alike - creating a dynamic,
vibrant and diverse environment.”
And for us, still looking for suitable and affordable office
space since we moved out in June, it seems there will be a combination
of new offices and co-working spaces alongside a loft
workspace. The pricing will be announced in early 2020. While we
won’t be able to return to our old office, which will now be a part
of the hotel, we’re looking forward to learning more about the
spaces and opportunities as the renovation progresses and the
building moves closer to reopening.•
If you would like to stay informed with all the latest news about Hornsey Town Hall Arts
Centre and the restoration project then follow @HTHArtsCentre on social media and join
the mailing list at: www.hthartscentre.com. If you want to enquire about the residential
development call the marketing suite: 020 8341 4664
Clockwise from top: Hornsey Town Hall encased in its
protective wrapping; the project team (left to right) -
Paul Botten (Ardmore), Anusha Le Vasan (Fulkers),
Regine Kandan (Make Architects), Simon Redfern
(Ardmore), Nerius Rimkevicius (Ardmore), Joe Pitt
(Ardmore), Claire Brady (Historic England), Doris Lam
(FEC), Trevor Upright (Ardmore) and Norman Fitzpatrick
(Ardmore); parquet floor patch, cleaned and revived.
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