Brockwell Hall Restoration
Brixton, Lambeth
Brockwell Hall is a Grade II* listed mansion house from 1811 that now sits within the beautiful Brockwell Park, laid out by Lt.-Col. JJ Sexby and opened in 1896. This restoration project was funded by the Heritage Fund: its vision of “Letting the Past Enhance the Future” has involved our practice leading this exciting project through all the key NLHF stages and meeting all the key outcomes that will benefit heritage, people, and communities in Lambeth, London and beyond.
The project has evolved from a detailed conservation plan and significance study that was agreed with local stakeholders and Historic England. Ultimately, this is a community-led project that developed through working closely with all key local groups led by the stakeholder forum for the park, the Brockwell Park Community Partners (BPCP).
The project has involved restoring the Hall to its former glory. The reception rooms, cleared of the current clutter of unsightly kitchens, have become gallery spaces for the exhibition and interpretation of the history of the park, the Hall that sits within it, and the communities that engage with both. The previously inaccessible Painted Room, with its original 1896 Henry Strachey wall hangings, has been restored and become the heart of the transformed café, that spills out onto the south-facing terrace. A new space has been created within the original Stables Yard to function as a local hub and event venue for schools and the local community.
The project has brought level public access to the buildings and opened up many parts of the original complex that were previously closed off. As an essential part of the project, the park landscape immediately surrounding the buildings has been restored to capture and allow the interpretation of original key features such as the Pleasure Ground, the small classical temple folly, and the relationship to local meadows, the Kitchen Garden, Herne Hill and Central London.
Consultants
Exhibition Design: GuM Studio
Landscape: Dominic Cole Landscape Architects
Structural Engineering: Mervyn Rodrigues Associates
Building Services Engineering: SVM Consulting Engineers
Cost Consultant: Huntley Cartwright