Long Awaited Facelift for 20 Fulham Broadway Set to Go Ahead
Local owners apply for hoarding around work including extension and change of colour
A long awaited facelift for Fulham Centre, the building at 20 Fulham Broadway which houses Barclays Bank is finally set to go ahead, almost four years after its owners first applied for planning permission from H&F Council.
The building, at the centre of the Broadway is highly distinctive with its green glazed elevator and sculpure at its southern tip.
In February 2015, the building's owners, locally based company Romulus Construction applied to extend the building and give it a change of colour.
The orginal planning application was as follows:
Partial demolition of existing building facades to enable the erection of a double-height single storey lobby extension in the existing forecourt of the building and a part five part six storey extension fronting Vanston Place to provide mixed use comprising of use Class A1 and/or A2 at ground floor level and office use (Class B1) on the floors above; formation of a roof terrace at fifth floor level; proposed change of colour of external render of the existing building and re-cladding of external walls at ground floor level.
Fulham based company Romulus Construction, who also also the building opposite, 2 - 6 Fulham Broadway, currently home to Whole Foods Market said at the time that through these extensions, the proposal aimed to improve access to the building, improve the quality of existing office accommodation, introduce new and extended retail units and also encourage pedestrian activity along Vanston Place. The current building uses - retail at ground floor and office at upper floors - would be retained and extended.
Since then, material amendments were made to the plans in 2017, including a reduction of the double-height lobby extension fronting Fulham Broadway, increasing public realm area in front of the main entrance, relocation of the existing lift, additional floor area of the and upper floors at east elevation, refinement of the facade design at ground level fronting Vanston Place and replacement of finishes to ground level fronting Fulham Broadway.
This was followed in 2018 with a further minor amendment to the Vanston Place facade, from a stepped geometry to a straight line in plan to provide a stronger street frontage, create a cleaner relationship of the shop fronts at pavement level and avoid corners where it previously created 'dead areas'.
Now Romulus Construction has submitted an application for temporary hoarding to be installed while work on the building is carried out. If permission is granted, the work is finally expected to start this year.
The application confirms that ground floor tenant Barclays Bank will remain in occupation and the familiar sculpture Clarion by Philip King, which was specially commissioned and designed for the site, will stay in its current position.
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January 7, 2019