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The site was purchased by London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) in 2015 and lies at the heart of the Whitechapel Vision Masterplan. Originally the building was a purpose-built hospital, dating from 1757 and in use until 2013, it was left to decline until LBTH saw the opportunity to consolidate several satellite offices into one location. The brief called for a flexible working environment for 2,470 staff, space for the Council’s democratic functions, including a new council chamber, a Residents’ Hub and significant space for culture and education in a more accessible location. A new public square between the Town Hall and new Royal London Hospital provides much needed external amenity space and greening for residents, hospital patients, visitors and council staff.
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The project has delivered a new, generous piece of public realm opposite Whitechapel Station to receive visitors to the Town Hall, offering relief from the busy and bustling Whitechapel Road. Large tree species frame uncluttered arrival spaces with generous canopy cover offering shade where visitors and passersby can enjoy rest and spark conversation. Textural planting either side of the main building entrance includes varied, non-native species with flower and foliage that reflects and celebrates the diversity of the Tower Hamlets community. A new high quality pedestrian arrival sequence is both accessible and inclusive with a legible approach to the building entrance which feels both welcoming and safe.
The restoration strategy was founded on the principle that repairs and additions would form the next chapter in the building’s story. Alterations are celebrated rather than rectified and contemporary interventions were designed to enhance that which exists, all while enhancing the building’s MEP and external fabric to meet modern standards. The result is a highly energy efficient workspace with low operational carbon with all electric design, on site renewables, achieving BREEAM Excellent and as built EPC A(17). Awards: RIBA London Building of the Year 2025, BCO National and Regional Award 2024, RICS London Award for Refurbishment 2024, AIA UK Excellence Award 2024, Pineapple Award for Creative Retrofit 2024, Civic Trust Award 2024 and Government Property Award – Project of the Year 2023.
The project provides a fully accessible environment for the borough’s residents and efficient, flexible workspace for council staff. Public and private space is clearly delineated with public space on the ground floor and controlled access to the floors above. A judiciously positioned vertical circulation core, accessed from the main atrium, connects to all levels of both the existing building and its new extension. This provides the potential for each floor within the new extension to be occupied separately offering the commercial letting benefits of a speculative office building if required in the future. The design responds to key eras of the existing building’s development, between 1757 and 1906, utilising the architectural character inherent in each to enrich the new internal environment. The Georgian formality of the external facades has been retained, the restored brickwork of the south elevation creating a backdrop to the council’s activities within the new extension. The internal finishes and double height volumes associated with the more ornate Arts and Crafts inspired operating theatre extensions have been revealed and reinstated providing a vibrant mix of working environments. LB Tower Hamlets was focused on safeguarding the building’s future operational efficiency as this underpinned the business case for the move to Whitechapel and the restored building is now the focal point of the Whitechapel regeneration vision as was always intended.
It has been a privilege to work on the project. There have, of course, been a lot of complexities, not least from refurbishing a Grade II listed building, but also the complications of working through the pandemic. Mulberry Place wasn’t that accessible, but the new Town Hall is in one of the most accessible parts of London, let alone Tower Hamlets. There is so much more here, with the with the market, shops and public transport; it's a great investment - and legacy - for our staff and residents.
Established in 1989 with offices in London, Bristol, Madrid, Oklahoma City and Sydney, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris makes buildings that are satisfying and enjoyable to use, beautiful to look at and easy to understand. The practice designs very different buildings for very different people to use in very different ways, making places as well as buildings that work overtime and have lasting qualities intrinsic to their architecture.
Winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize and recipient of many other awards for architecture and design, the practice has received public and media acclaim for its work across sectors. AHMM is known for its reinvention of buildings and places including the Angel and Tea Buildings, Television Centre, the Barbican, and New Scotland Yard, as well as key new commercial, residential and education developments in London, around the UK and internationally.
https://www.ahmm.co.uk/project...
