Words By Emily Martin
Restored civic landmark Walworth Town Hall completes
Real estate developer General Projects and Peckham-based architect Feix and Merlin, in collaboration with Southwark Council, has completed the transformation of Walworth Town Hall in Southwark, south London, reopening the heritage asset for the first time in over a decade. A focal touchpoint for the community since 1894, the Grade II listed landmark suffered significant fire damage in 2013, resulting in Historic England placing the property on its Heritage at Risk register. Since, the town hall has been sensitively restored and given a new life as a hub for local SMEs and community groups, and was formally removed from the Heritage at Risk register.
New workspaces will support over 550 workers across a mix of flexible offices and coworking desks to establish a new destination, tailor-made for independent, creative businesses. The restoration and development provide a series of dedicated public spaces, including a community centre, a new public café, and restaurant located within the dynamic central lobby.
The full site comprises 50,000ft2, including the former town hall and adjoining former Newington Library and Cuming Museum. The new grand staircase and ground floor entrance onto Walworth Square introduce a prominent public face for the building, improving access and connecting the site to the nearby Sayer Street thoroughfare and wider regeneration of Elephant and Castle.
General Projects worked with LGBTQ+-led Feix and Merlin on a sensitive but impactful design approach. The result combines elements of old and new by making sympathetic references to the town hall’s 19th-century architecture, while introducing distinctly modern features through the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) to replace sections of the building damaged by the 2013 fire. www.feixandmerlin.com
Sinfonia Smith Square Hall awarded National Lottery Heritage Fund grant
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Square Hall has announces it has been awarded a £452,035 grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to transform Smith Square Hall into a worldclass cultural venue, with emerging talent at its heart. The grant marks a significant milestone in the venue’s history, following a rebrand earlier in 2024, and will help transform the 18th-century building into a dynamic centre for culture and classical music.
A full consultant team has now been appointed, which include Burrell Foley Fischer architects, who will help enable Sinfonia Smith Square to continue its mission to create world-class performances and serve its communities within a flexible, accessible 21st-century performance space. Works scheduled include repairing the historic fabric of the building, improving accessibility, expanding the facilities for players and guest artists, and creating outstanding experiences for audiences and visitors through upgraded lighting, sound, heating and ventilation systems. In line with Sinfonia Smith Square’s ambition to become carbon-neutral, the project will install renewable energy technologies throughout the building. www.bff-architects.com
Rockwell Group to unveil Casa Cork at Milan Design Week 2025
Rockwell Group, in collaboration with Cork Collective, has partnered with Corticeira Amorim to create Casa Cork, an immersive experience set to preview at Milan Design Week 2025 (8-13 April). Visitors will be immersed in interiors, furnishings, lighting and student prototypes crafted almost entirely from cork. It will feature a dramatic centrepiece: a lifelike replica of a monumental cork tree made from reclaimed virgin cork bark. www.rockwellgroup.com
BDG celebrates design, culture and community in new workspace for Dojo
Image credit: Phil Hutchinson
BDG Architecture + Design (BDG) has completed the latest regional contact centre for the customer care branch of technology company Dojo. Located in Bristol’s central neighbourhood of Temple Meads, the workplace will serve as a contact centre and training hub to better enable Dojo’s fast-growing team to provide expert customer service to over 126,000 businesses. Tasked with creating a contact centre that would break the traditional mould, BDG crafted a workspace designed to attract and retain top talent. The result is a cuttingedge environment with 402 desk spaces and a selection of flexible areas to respond to dynamic employee workflows and fluctuating staff numbers throughout the day and night while ensuring adaptability in line with the company’s future growth ambitions.
Adam Childs, creative director at BDG, said: ‘Our design for Dojo Bristol draws inspiration from the city’s rich industrial heritage and vibrant creative energy. It was vital for us to respond to the brief using local street artists and showcase this diverse community.
‘Our goal was to create a dynamic and welcoming environment that not only reflects the unique character of Bristol but also fosters innovation and collaboration. By blending thoughtful design with functional spaces, we’ve crafted a fun and exciting workplace that reflects Dojo’s ethos and will help attract and retain top talent. We’re confident this space will set a new standard for contact centres and create a lasting impact.’ www.bdg.com
Duravit’s new Canada facility set to go live in 2025
Duravit’s new Canadian plant is nearing completion with manufacturing set to commence in the third quarter of 2025. The foundation stone was laid for the innovative ceramic plant in Matane, Canada, in July 2023, and work is now in full swing in readiness for its go-live date.
Christian Gilles, head of manufacturing in Matane, commented: ‘We’ve essentially assembled the perfect ceramic factory here. The two roller kilns are without a doubt the heart of the operation… The kilns are operated almost entirely using renewable hydroelectric power. This will save the Canadian facility up to 8,500 tons of carbon dioxide each year. At the same time, these machines are the unknown factor in the manufacturing process.’
Using highly automated manufacturing processes will ensure a consistently high-quality standard, help boost production, and support employees in their work. Additionally, Duravit is investing in driverless transport systems and a modern die-casting process to further boost efficient working processes. www.duravit.com
Planning permission granted for Buckinghamshire luxury hotel project
Planning permission and listed building consent have been granted for the transformation of the former Penn School in the village of Penn in Buckinghamshire into Rayners Penn, a luxury boutique hotel and spa.
The multi-million-pound development will restore and refurbish the historic Grade II listed buildings on the site, which have fallen into disrepair since the school’s closure in 2015. Plans include converting the listed Rayners House along with complementary extensions and newbuild to create a 33-bedroom hotel, a fine dining restaurant, bistro, cookery school, wellness spa, and rejuvenating the estate’s renowned pleasure gardens. Sustainability is at the heart of the scheme, embracing deep green credentials to future-proof against climate change and increase biodiversity on site. Net-zero carbon is also a key aspiration.
Sarah Moorhouse, associate director at planning and development consultancy Lichfields, said: ‘This project has been a great example of how heritage conservation and sustainable development can work hand in hand. Securing permission for a scheme within such a sensitive planning context required careful consideration and collaboration with Buckinghamshire Council and the local community. Rayners Penn will bring substantial benefits to the area while preserving the estate’s rich history.’
Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the project taking approximately two and a half years to complete. www.raynerspenn.com
Industry celebrate FX editor’s 19 years
Image credit: Phil Hutchinson
February saw some of the leading industry members come together to mark FX editor Theresa Dowling’s 19 years of leadership. The event, organised by Anna King of PR and communications agency, Informare, was put together to ‘celebrate all her successes’, with Dowling stepping down from her editorship role at the end of February.
Dowling, who set up the FX Awards among other ventures during her tenancy, said: ‘I’ll be sad to leave FX. It’s been my life, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to [my co-workers] and the fabulous industry of FX for the past 19 years.’ www.informare.co.uk
Gilles & Boissier celebrates 20 years of design
French design agency Gilles & Boissier is celebrating its 20th anniversary by unveiling immersive experiences at its showroom apartments on Avenue Montaigne and the Boutique des Choses on Rue Boissy d’Anglas, Paris. The transformations will showcase a living museum, where furniture and objects ‘come to life’ in light, form and contrast. www.gillesetboissier.com
Design Museum bolsters leadership team with three new senior appointments
The Design Museum in London has announced three new appointments to its senior leadership team. Josephine Chanter has been appointed the museum’s deputy director. The role has been established to drive innovation, accessibility and ongoing strategic change at the museum. Lycia Lobo joined the museum in February as chief operating officer. Liyun Ye also recently joined the executive team as chief finance officer. www.designmuseum.org
Elegant Hotel Dei Cavalieri wins prestigious award
The Hotel Dei Cavalieri – Milan Duomo, a four-star hotel located in a historic building, has been awarded the Strutture Ricettive Storiche e di Qualità award (Historic and Quality Accommodations). This recognition, granted by the Lombardy region, is a tribute to the preservation and enhancement of establishments that embody excellence in hospitality. www.deicavaliericollection.com
Ulster Carpets granted Royal Warrant
Ulster Carpets have been granted a Royal Warrant by King Charles III. This is the second Royal Warrant bestowed on the family-owned manufacturer of luxury carpets for the home and hospitality sectors. In 2022, the Portadown-based company were one of the final recipients of a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II. However, this expired on the monarch’s death. Following a review by the Royal Household, a new Royal Warrant has been issued by the current monarch. www.ulstercarpets.com
Rockwell Group brings Nobu to new heights in Bangkok
Image credit: Owen Raggatt
Rockwell Group has unveiled its latest project: the interiors for Nobu Bangkok. This project marks a new milestone in the studio’s decades-long collaboration with chef Nobu Matsuhisa, which began in 1994 with a restaurant in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood. Now, 30 years and 40 Nobu restaurants and hotels later, Nobu Bangkok is the brand’s first foray into Thailand and its largest restaurant globally.
Located within the Empire Tower in Sathon, one of Thailand’s tallest office buildings, Nobu Bangkok spans two floors, an expansive rooftop, and multiple dynamic spaces designed for dining, socialising, and hosting large events. The design team drew inspiration from Bangkok’s natural and urban landscapes, incorporating themes found in a vintage map of Thailand — Urban, Jungle, and River — to shape the design and ambience of each space. www.rockwellgroup.com
Ekho Studio delivers The Place to be
The Place is a new 409- unit purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Nottingham, designed by Belfast-based architects Consarc, with interior design interiors consultancy Ekho Studio.
The newbuild scheme sees the redevelopment of a brownfield site on the city’s Queen’s Road, directly adjacent to the railway station, and supports Nottingham City Council’s strategy of integrating students into the city centre in secure, purpose-built accommodation. The 11-storey BREAAM ‘Excellent’ property offers a mix of ensuite and under-graduate studio residences, alongside generous amenity spaces, including a gym, private dining room, and 360° rooftop terrace and sky lounge offering spectacular panoramic views over the city.
The project is also Ekho Studio’s first scheme for this client and brand, with a second scheme for the same client now underway in Glasgow. ‘PBSA accommodation is a particularly vibrant market in the UK right now,’ Rachel Withey, founding partner at Ekho Studio commented. ‘Historically, students lived either in halls of residence or in shared houses, under the aegis of private landlords, where standards could be very unpredictable. We are delighted to be part of the maturation of this flourishing market with projects like The Place, whose imaginative design, with its seriously ‘grown up’ members club feel, offers students not only contemporary comfort and security, but also study, fitness, gaming and social spaces – with proper design credentials.’ www.ekho.studio
