A collaboration between Utility and Kilburn Nightingale architects to renovate Kensington Town Hall and a rare opportunity to work on this Basil Spence building which, amazingly, is largely intact with glorious 70s interiors and an admirable level of quality and detail.
The remit covers the formal spaces of the council chamber and civic suite; original photos show these as smart in a pared-back way with contemporary furniture entirely appropriate to the building and its function, latterly replaced. And The Halls across the courtyard, one of the largest for-hire venues in London including auditorium & ballroom and host to a wide programme of community and cultural events.
Both retain much of the original fabric of bronze-tinted glass, brown carpet & dark chestnut timber paneling, which not everyone appreciates, and unmodernised lighting and services which need to be replaced without damaging precious surfaces. While spacial arrangement for the most part remains as is, the final layer has to do with occupation: what is the nature of a civic centre today, how do we want to use it and what should this look like?
The challenge is to restore and re-use as much as possible of the Basil Spence design intent while making the building useful for, and loved by, the people who work in and visit it now.
Update: The project was put on hold following the Grenfell fire. If and when it is revived the question of purpose and relevance to residents hopefully to be explored openly.
