Walworth Town Hall

The meticulous redevelopment of Walworth Town Hall is a sensitive response to a devastating fire in 2013 which left the building derelict, leading to a design competition to determine the best means of repurposing the Grade II listed building for the good of the local community. The selection of a structural timber and steelwork solution has been pivotal to the imaginative reconfiguration of a much-loved landmark, which has given the iconic building a new lease of life.

As a major new community hub - in a landmark setting which many feared would remain derelict - Walworth Town Hall takes advantage of the numerous benefits of structural timber, while pushing the boundaries of innovation. Significantly, utilising timber to restore a building previously ravaged by fire highlights the project team’s strong understanding of - and confidence in - the material

After being ravaged by fire in 2013, Southwark Council and the developer General Projects sought to reinvent Walworth Town Hall for the 21^st century. Taking care to retain, restore and revitalise much of the original 1894 features of the main chamber, the aim was to return it to its former glory as one of London’s truly iconic civic buildings.

Feix & Merlin were appointed as project architect after a widely contested design competition, with Heyne Tillett Steel as structural engineer and Conamar as the main contractor. B&K Structures (BKS) were selected to design and deliver the hybrid CLT, glulam and structural steelwork solution for the refurbishment works and new roof extension.

General Projects have an established track record of utilising engineered timber in their projects alongside BKS – recent examples include Technique (now complete) and Metropolis, which is currently on site in London. The challenges of Walworth Town Hall’s complex redevelopment were overcome by General Projects’ selection of a hybrid structural timber system. Using timber for the roof combined with some strengthening steelwork for the refurbishment works, the solution was to restore the original elements and further modernise the building with new timber vertical extensions and roofs, a new mezzanine floor, and a new lift core.

Utilising structural timber for the refurbishment works has not only enhanced the sustainability credentials of the building, but also takes advantage of the lightweight benefits the material can bring to retrofit projects. Innovative connection design and detailing work was required to integrate and honour the original features, with BKS’ in-house drawing office using Tekla to coordinate the works and provide a successful project outcome.

The new lightweight CLT and glulam roof and structural steel mezzanine floor have delivered over 50,000 sq. ft. of refurbished space, offering amenity and versatility for a wide cross-section of users - enabling the former council chamber to once again become a hub of activity, with a restaurant and flexible space to host events. In addition to the free-to-use, purpose-built community space, led by those with connections to the local community, the building also offers commercial office accommodation to boost local employment opportunities.

Julia Feix, Partner at Feix & Merlin, commented: “I think for us the most exciting element of the project relates to the very significant fire damage it had suffered – resulting in it being put on the buildings at risk register by English Heritage. As a Grade II listed building which had sat empty for a long time, being able to resurrect the building and bring it back in a new guise using timber was fantastic.”

The hybrid structural timber and steelwork solution facilitated the restoration work by providing long-term strength with minimal additional weight, ideal for a commercial refurbishment such as Walworth Town Hall.

The new lightweight roof - located on a concrete ring beam cast atop the old brickwork - has opened new spaces and provides flexibility for future use. Using offsite manufacture ensured the structural timber and steel were fabricated to a high degree of precision, and the costs associated with both installation and a shorter critical path for the construction phase could be guaranteed. Along with its biophilic nature, the CLT will ensure the longevity of the building with minimal maintenance required.

The use of exposed timber throughout Walworth Town Hall is both visually impressive and offers adaptability, aiming to increase foot traffic and appeal to a wide range of users. Prefabrication of the 336m3 of CLT at Stora Enso’s manufacturing facility in Austria produced zero waste to landfill, minimised waste on site, and CLT’s very low air permeability will further contribute to the building’s energy costs.  

Engineered timber is recognised for its sustainability credentials, and the glulam and CLT structural elements were 100^% PEFC Certified and will sequester 295T of CO2e throughout the life of the building, with the potential for the CLT to be repurposed or recycled at end of life. All the trees used for the project will have regrown in just 85 seconds.