Work Begins on King Street's New Civic Campus

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As ugly town hall extension is prepared for demolition

 

Work has begun on the  new 'civic campus' at the western end of King Street, as the ugly Town Hall extension is prepared for demolition.

The demolition will expose the facade of the original Grade II listed Town Hall which H&F Council says will be transformed into a modern public building at the heart of the community.

The plans also include a new cinema, start-up space for the borough’s entrepreneurs, homework space for local schoolchildren, and what the council describes as genuinely affordable homes.

The scheme has benefited from the experience of the borough’s Independent Disabled Residents Team who have worked with the council to design a fully accessible building, as well as resident volunteers who worked without pay as Independent Town Hall Commissioners.

They worked with architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and the developer A2Dominion to help deliver a scheme that will benefit the borough for decades and significantly improve Hammersmith.

Richard Winterton, chair of the Hammersmith Town Hall Commission, said: "We acted as a wholly independent, voluntary group to inject a citizen’s perspective on the developing design of the scheme. We firmly support the application, in particular the transformation of the original town hall building and the new town square, the number of affordable homes, and the new four-screen cinema."

Jane Wilmot, from the H&F Disabled Residents Team, said: "Barriers faced by Disabled people in using buildings and open spaces were raised early before plans were submitted rather than left to detailed design at a later stage.

"This way of working together allowed robust solutions to be found early as well as saving time and money for the developer. This is most unusual and should be adopted in all major development projects."

The scheme includes:

• a new four-screen cinema, with room for cafes, shops and restaurants built on the existing cinema and car park site
• 204 new homes of which 52 per cent will be classified as genuinely affordable for local residents
• a new public rooftop bar and restaurant
• new community art and event spaces
• new affordable, flexible office spaces for start-up businesses
• new public space for performances and events in front of the restored Town Hall
• new homework spaces for children and students
• inclusively designed buildings to ensure full access for Disabled people
• eco-friendly buildings to minimise our carbon footprint and cut fuel bills.

The council says opening the town hall to the public, local start-up businesses and partner agencies will support H&F’s mission to modernise the council’s culture and deliver the best public services. And the new civic campus will allow the council to cut building maintenance and rental costs.

"This is an important moment in our mission to revitalise Hammersmith because it will breathe new life into the western end of King Street," said Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Cowan.

"The new four-screen cinema, new genuinely affordable homes, new public rooftop bar and restaurant and new public square are some of the factors that will rejuvenate the area and create a new Hammersmith neighbourhood.

" I am extremely grateful to our partners, the architects and particularly to all the local residents who helped make this scheme something I think everyone who cares about our borough will be extremely proud of."

The timetable:

Winter 2019: demolition work begins
June 2020: construction works begins

H&F Council says it will keep residents up to date with regular newsletters  on the works. You can read the first newsletter here.

November 25, 2019