Old Buildings, New Architecture

Brighton College 1 TG Jackson designed an ornate Tudor style entrance tower to Brighton College in 1887, but it was left unbuilt. 130

years later, we have finally completed the tower in terracotta on a brick core, to serve as the Headmaster’s study and

meeting room. The steel frame of the cupola and pinnacle was erected at ground level, then hoisted onto the tower

by crane. The tower has already become the symbolic image for the school.

London Docks 2The Pennington Street Warehouse is the only surviving part of the London Docks designed by Daniel Alexander

in 1805. The warehouse is of a sublime grandeur, having an imperforate brick boundary wall to Pennington Street

with brick groin-vaulted cellars to the full 1000 feet length of the building. We are creating five public entrances

through the buildings to the new public roadway to the south, allowing light, air, services and entrances to a range of

restaurant, office and leisure uses, as part of St George’s redevelopment of Fortress Wapping as a mixed commercial

and residential area. This will transform the area from a closed and hostile environment to a permeable, welcoming

and vibrant part of the city.

Lambeth Palace front cover, 3 To celebrate the Millennium and to open the Palace to visitors, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church

Commissioners embarked on an ambitious project to conserve and remodel an area at the heart of the Palace that gives

access to the wonderful 13th century crypt chapel. Some 20th century buildings were removed to create a new courtyard,

with a glazed roof, a stone floor and a stone seat around the perimeter to avoid the need to underpin the walls. A platform

lift gives access to ground, first and courtyard levels, whence a further, barely visible, scissor lift gives access to the crypt.

The contemporary bronze-finished steel, glass and timber bridge and balustrades make an effective contrast with the

heavy historic masonry walls, which were conserved and lime washed to bring out their rich texture.

Garrick Club, Covent Garden 4The Garrick Club was once renowned as the dirtiest building in London. Following a condition report that identified

extensive cracking of the rendered front elevation, the Club agreed to implement comprehensive cleaning and

repair to the elevation. There are now subtly different colours to the surviving plain render, the precast decorative

enrichments, and the new render applied over the cracks in the piano nobile, revealing the full splendour of the

Italianate Palazzo designed by Marrable in 1862. Marrable’s original watercolour view shows incised masonry block

lines in the render, albeit not implemented – until now, when we cut them into the new render to control cracking and

to restore Marrable’s original intentions.

Ragged School Museum, Tower Hamlets 5 Warehouses on the Grand Union canal north of Lime house Basin were converted shortly after their completion in the

1870’s to become the largest Ragged School in London. Richard Griffiths restored and converted one of the buildings

to museum use, including the recreation of a Victorian classroom on the first floor. Floors and staircase were carefully

upgraded to comply with fire regulations without compromising their rugged exposed construction. RGA have now

prepared a feasibility study for repair and conversion of the remainder of the buildings to extend the Museum and to

give it a sustainable future, which forms the basis for a funding application to the HLF.

Public Buildings

Brighton College

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Sutton House, Hackney 1 Sutton House is the oldest house in East London, built By Sir Ralph Sadleir in 1535, with a rich history of alteration at every

period. The house was bought by the National Trust in the 1930’s and leased out. However, in 1982 the tenants departed,

squatters moved in and by 1987 the House was boarded up and derelict. Richard Griffiths Architects designed and executed

a plan for arts and educational uses, incorporating a concert hall, exhibition room, cafe/bar and shop, as well as a range of

historic rooms of various periods. The different layers of the house’s history are revealed by means of hinged panels, and

the conversion allows different layers of use – as historic house, education centre and function venue.

Eastbury Manor House, Barking 2Eastbury Manor House dates from around 1566 and is one of the finest Tudor merchants’ house in the country. It

is owned by the National Trust and leased by the London Borough of Barking. Richard Griffiths was first appointed

architect in 1990, and has master planned and overseen the complete transformation of the house and gardens

over the course of two successive projects funded by the HLF. The whole house has been repaired and made

accessible, and new services introduced to allow a wide range of range of use. The project included the creation

of a new oak clad stair turret on the site of the collapsed brick original.

Clissold House, Hackney 3 Clissold House is a lovely Grecian Doric villa of the 1790’s, in Clissold Park, one of London’s most heavily used

public parks. The house was derelict apart from a café in one of the rooms. With the assistance of Heritage Lottery

funding, the house has been restored, made fully accessible and converted to house a wide range of community

and function uses, including an enlarged and improved café that now opens to the park on two levels. The

immediate setting of the house has been transformed by new landscaping, as part of the wider improvements to the

surrounding park.

Burghley House, Stamford 4 Burghley House is one of the finest Elizabethan Prodigy House built by William Cecil (1520-98), Principal Secretary

and Lord Treasurer to Elizabeth I. RGA have created a new visitor centre and entrance pavilion in Capability Brown’s

Brewery Courtyard, with assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A steel- and oak-framed entrance pavilion

provides ticketing, display and education facilities, and leads to an audio-visual presentation, a Treasury display

gallery and a second education room in the listed Brewhouse.

30 Romford Road, Newham 5This delightful five bay clapboarded timber framed mid-Georgian house was in an advanced state of decay and

dereliction when saved by conversion to offices for the local museum service. The timber frame and panelling

were carefully repaired using traditional carpentry repairs, and the staircase was restored to its original form. A

new extension was provided to providing ancillary accommodation for the kitchen and other services required for

contemporary use. Electric radiant heating was fitted below the floor boards in conjunction with a high level of insulation

between the timber studs.

Historic Houses

Sutton House, Hackney

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Southwark Cathedral 1 Richard Griffiths was Cathedral Architect from 1997 to 2012, overseeing a major programme of repairs and

upgrading to the Cathedral. The Millennium Project, opened by Nelson Mandela in 2001, involved the cleaning

and floodlighting of the external fabric of the Cathedral, the re-landscaping of the churchyard, and the design of

new buildings around a new courtyard giving visitors access to the Cathedral from the Thames Path. The buildings

contain a refectory, shop, education centre and a range of meeting and function rooms that provide a vital

source of income to support the wide range of services, concerts and activities promoted by the Cathedral.

St Albans Abbey 2Alban, a Roman centurian, became England’s first martyr in AD 250. The Abbey founded on the site of his martyrdom

became one of the most important in the country. The present building dates from 1077, with major additions

from later centuries. Richard Griffiths was appointed Cathedral Architect in 2000 and has guided all the works

to the Abbey over a 16 year period. He has been responsible for repairs to the 13th Century timber vaults to the

presbytery, the preservation of the Medieval wall paintings to the nave and south ambulatory, and the conservation

and repair of medieval stonework to the west porches and to the east end. He has also designed the reordering of

the nave sanctuary, the provision of full access inside and around the Abbey, the re-hanging of the bells, the re-

landscaping of the south churchyard, and major commissions for new stained glass windows and sculpture.

Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Kensington 3Richard Griffiths Architects were appointed in 2004 to clean and redecorate the interior of the Russian Orthodox

Cathedral in Ennismore Gardens. Built as an Anglican church in 1848-9 to the designs of Lewis Vullamy, it was

altered by Harrison Townsend in the 1890’s, and became the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the 1950’s. The

interior of the church was cleaned to remove the accumulation of years of candle soot, revealing the full

splendour of Heywood Sumner’s remarkable Arts and Crafts sgraffito decorations and gilded apse. The columns

were redecorated with rich porphyry marbling, and the walls repainted in a stone colour to provide a suitable

background to the icons. Meanwhile the nave was re-lit with magnificent copper and brass chandeliers.

St Nicholas Chapel, Kings Lynn 4This major project for the Churches Conservation Trust was carried out with HLF funding to allow much

greater interpretation, access and use of this magnificent late Gothic Chapel, the largest in England. The

roof was re-leaded, and the south-facing slopes fitted with the largest array of photo voltaic panels so far

erected on any church. Following the realization that conventional heating would be prohibitively expensive,

the decision was made to provide specially designed electric radiant heating and lighting chandeliers,

for which the PV’s provide power. The tower has been converted to provide kitchen and toilet facilities to

serve the wide range of possible uses of the church, including major choral and orchestral concerts.

St Paul’s Church, Hammersmith 5Although it was once in the centre of the old village of Hammersmith, this Grade II* listed church is now in the

middle of one of London’s busiest traffic gyratories. Richard Griffiths Architects were appointed in 2004

by competitive interview to design a major extension to provide accommodation for the remarkable wide

range of uses of this vibrant church. Taking advantage of the exposed site, the building has been designed

around a welcoming and embracing western atrium, in the tradition of the early Christian Church – for

example the first St Peter’s in Rome. Complex archaeological issues included the excavation and reinterment

of many Victorian burials. The project has been carefully designed to be sustainable, allowing a flexible use

of space, excellent thermal qualities, a sedum roof and heat exchange through the piles.

Churches and Cathedrals

Southwark Cathedral

Historic Houses

Sutton House, Hackney

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St Pancras Hotel and Apartments

RegenerationSt Pancras Hotel and Apartments back cover, 1 Sir George Gilbert Scott’s Grand Midland Hotel, one of the most famous buildings of the 19th century. Opened in

1873, closed in 1933, and defeated all attempts at conversion for new uses – until the arrival of Eurostar once more

made hotel use possible. RGA were appointed as joint architects with RHWL to return the building to use as an

international Grand Hotel, with a new wing of 190 hotel bedrooms on Midland Road, and residential apartments on

the upper floors. RGA designed the major public areas of the hotel – including the main concourse, the lift lobby – and

the new wing, in a simplified version of Scott’s Gothic that masks a heroic engineering structure spanning the 30m

loading bay of the railway. The residential entrance reuses the original hotel entrance, and much of Scott’s architecture

in the flanking platform level rooms has been rediscovered and restored to its original decorative grandeur.

Kings Cross Granary Building 2At the centre of the Kings Cross Goods Yard is the noble Granary building, designed by Lewis Cubitt in 1851, now

converted by Stanton Williams for Central St Martin’s. RGA were appointed to oversee the repairs to the historic

fabric, including cleaning and repairing the brickwork of the elevations, taking care to retain the scars of time and the

ghosts of demolished buildings. The repairs also involved removing rusting butterfly ties that had burst the granite

parapets, repairing the external windows, remounting the loading bay doors inside the building, gently cleaning the

internal woodwork and lime washing the internal walls. We worked closely with Stanton Williams to install the new

services in a sympathetic manner under a floating floor, leaving the underside of the joists open to view.

Regent Quarter, King’s Cross 3 Richard Griffiths Architects were recommended by English Heritage to act as conservation and design consultants

to P&O Developments and RHWL Architects for the redevelopment of four urban blocks adjacent to King’s Cross

Station following the rejection of earlier proposals. The area contains a number of notable industrial buildings of the

1870’s, unlisted but in a Conservation Area, with interesting roof structures. The practice helped to devise the new

master plan for the refurbishment of all the significant buildings, while still meeting the commercial requirements of

P&O, as a focus for the regeneration of the local area. The proposals were warmly supported by the Islington Society,

who had previously been objectors.

Oxford Castle, Oxford 4 Closed in 1996, Oxford Prison stands on the site of the former Norman castle to the south of the city centre.

Working in conjunction with Alan Baxter & Associates, ADP and Dixon Jones Architects, the practice acted

as historic building and conservation consultants for the development of the 1.2 hectare site. The success in

turning the site, effectively inaccessible to the public for hundreds of years, into a major quarter, full of shops,

bars and restaurants, has been recognized by many major regeneration awards. Richard Griffiths Architects

acted as executive architects for the repair of the Saxon St George’s Tower, and for the provision of a viewing

platform on the roof, giving the best view of the domes, towers and spires of the Oxford skyline.

Lancaster Canal Corridor 5Richard Griffiths was asked by SAVE to prepare an alternative vision for the future of the Lancaster Canal Quarter,

reusing the Brewery and other unlisted buildings on the site which were then to be demolished. Subsequently the

proposals were turned down by the Secretary of State, the site was acquired by British Land, and we were appointed

as part of the design team with Chapman Taylor to prepare a new master plan for the site reusing wherever possible

the existing buildings of note. This exciting project will contribute to the regeneration of Lancaster, one our finest

historic cities, and create a revitalized mixed use quarter, building on the two existing theatres and other arts uses, as

well as providing new retail, bar, restaurant, residential and office uses.

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Gardens and Landscapes

Gardens and Landscapes

Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire

Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire 1RGA have carried out for English Heritage a fascinating project to restore the Tudor garden where Lord Leicester

entertained Queen Elizabeth for 19 days in 1575. A letter written at the time describes a garden laid out in quarters

around a marble fountain, on axis with a two storey aviary, overlooked from a terrace in front of the keep, with classical

arbours at each end. The structures have been designed authentically with green oak frames, as advised by a panel

of experts, using evidence from archeological investigations, as well as from pattern books, prints, and construction

techniques of the period. The practice also converted Lord Leicester’s Tudor Stables in to an exhibition and café, and

designed a new ticket building and shop, a contemporary green oak-framed building following the tradition of timber

framed outbuildings that would have been characteristic of the site in medieval times.

Valentines Park, Redbridge 2 Valentines Mansion was acquired by the London Borough of Redbridge in order to create a public park. The Park

includes a remarkable late 18th century Rococo garden, with grottoes and other garden features, as well as a fine

municipal layout with boating lake, clock tower and horticultural displays. Working in conjunction with Land Use

Consultants, Richard Griffiths Architects secured funding of £1.2 Million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the repair

and restoration of the historic Rococo features and walled garden. The practice was also responsible for the external

repair of the house, and the creation of a new tea room in the former gardener’s house. The Mansion has been

restored by others on the basis of outline proposals carried out by ourselves.

The Georgian Group award 2010 for the restoration of a historic garden or landscape. Commended by the Landscape

Institute.

Southwark Cathedral 3 The Cathedral churchyard was redesigned to create a new paved entrance courtyard from the Thames Path to the

north, a new herb garden overlooked from London Bridge to the east, and a re-landscaped churchyard to the south,

with a straight path for commuters and a meandering path for visitors with new benches, trees and planting. A

new sculpture by Peter Randall-Page sits in the lawn to the south-east, commemorating Mahomet Weyonomon, a

Mohegan Indian who died while petitioning King George III for Indian Rights.

Moor Close Gardens, Berkshire 4Moor Close Gardens were designed by Oliver Hill in 1910 and have formed part of Newbold College grounds since

1945. Richard Griffiths Architects have prepared a Condition Survey and Schedule of Repairs for the structures in

the gardens to complement a conservation plan and a planting strategy by others. The survey was funded by English

Heritage and the College, who open the garden to the public and are committed to its phased restoration. Repairs

have now been completed to the gazebos that were badly damaged by a tree that fell on top them in a storm.

Savoy Chapel, Strand 5The brief from the Duchy of Cornwall was for the improvement and re-landscaping of the Savoy Chapel in conjunction

with a major development on the adjoining land. The vestries were re-roofed with copper roofs and the churchyard

re-landscaped in association with Elizabeth Banks Associates, to form an oval lawn, path and stone border carved

with an inscription recording the reopening by Her Majesty the Queen, patron of the chapel. The oval lawn and path

are flanked by two stone borders, one level with the grass, the other sloping with the path, meeting tangentially on

the centre line like armillary spheres.

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Practice Profile

Richard Griffiths Architects give new life to old buildings, conserving them to reveal the heritage of the past, and adapting them to enrich the present and the future.

Practice overviewUnder the direction of Richard Griffiths, the practice has established a leading reputation for the repair and creative

adaptation of historic buildings to accommodate new or extended uses, and for the design of new buildings that

respond sensitively to their historic context. The practice is especially noted for its approach to the layering of historic

buildings, revealing and celebrating the various historic layers, and adding a distinctive new layer to serve present

and future needs in a holistic and sustainable manner. The practice carries out work in all aspects of the historic

environment, including the preparation of Condition Surveys, Conservation Plans and Development Plans, and has an

excellent record of obtaining grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other major funders. 25 years’ experience

in managing conservation projects, accreditation in architectural conservation (AABC), and certification under

ISO9001 and 14001, ensure that the highest of standards of quality, time and cost control are maintained at all times.

Historic buildingsRichard Griffiths Architects have worked for English Heritage, the National Trust and Local Authorities in developing

schemes to give historic buildings a sustainable future, economically, socially and environmentally, by carrying out

repairs and alterations to allow wider public access, use and enjoyment by the local and wider communities. This

includes a number of historic houses in public parks, most notably Clissold House, Stoke Newington, restored with

HLF funding.

Ecclesiastical workThe practice has established a strong reputation for ecclesiastical work, and has been responsible for several major

churches and cathedrals, including Southwark Cathedral and St Albans Abbey, where Richard Griffiths has been

Cathedral Architect for 15 years. The practice has acquired specialist expertise in adapting churches to allow

extended uses, involving the resolution of complicated issues of access, fire protection, heating, lighting, and the

provision of ancillary visitor and parish facilities.

Working in partnershipThe practice has collaborated with other major architectural practices in the preparation of complex schemes for

the conversion of historic buildings to new uses, and in the regeneration of historic areas, including Oxford Castle,

the King’s Cross Regent Quarter, and the St Pancras Hotel. The practice regularly carries out consultancy to other

practices in obtaining consent for major projects to sensitive historic buildings, including the Holburne Museum,

Bath, the Whitechapel Art Gallery and Exeter College, Oxford.

Contemporary design in historic contextsThe new design work of the practice, whether employing the local language of materials or a contrasting contemporary

language, relies on an appropriate and sensitive use of materials and technology. In all its work, Richard Griffiths

Architects remain true to the creation of a timeless architecture, in which style derives from materials, use and

construction rather than from the whims of fashion.

AwardsAAAAAwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrddddddddddddddssssssssssssssBlackpool Central LibraryRICS Award North West

Burghley House, StamfordLABC Award for Best Commercial Project

Dagenham Civic CentreGreen Apple Awards Nomination

Freston TowerCivic Trust Award Commendation

RIBA Conservation Awards Commendation

Fulham IslandBuilding for Life Silver Commendation

Kenilworth CastleWarwick District Council Design Award

Civic Trust Awards Special Mention

The Wood Awards Highly Commended

Kings Cross Central St Martins RIBA Award 2012

Kings Cross Regent QuarterIslington Society Award for Architecture

and Conservation

Lambeth Palace Courtyard and CryptCivic Trust Awards Commendation

RFAC Building of the Year Shortlist

Oxford CastleRICS Awards Project of the Year

RIBA South Award

Civic Trust Outstanding Centre Vision Award

Best Hotel & Leisure Project Award

RICS South East Best Regeneration Scheme

Mail on Sunday Mixed Use Development

MIPIM Best Hotel and Leisure Project

Oxford Preservation Trust Award

Southwark Cathedral Millennium ProjectRIBA Award

ADAPT Trust Access Award Shortlist

Civic Trust Awards Commendation

Stone Federation Awards Commendation

Tylers and Bricklayers Special Award

Guild of Architectural Ironmongers Award

National Stone Craft Awards Commendation

Natural Stone Awards Commendation

GAI Ironmongery Awards Joint Winner

Landscape Institute 75th Anniversary Award

Sutton House, HackneyCivic Trust Award

Europa Nostra Award

Interpret Britain Award

St Albans AbbeySt Albans Civic Society Award

St Pancras HotelRIBA Award

RIBA London and English Heritage Best Building in a Historic

Context

BDA Awards Best Architectural Achievement

Brick Awards Finalist for Best Refurbishment

Leaf Awards 2011. Interior Design Award

European Hospitality Awards Hotel of the Year

Tylers and Bricklayers Award Commendation

Gyproc Trophy National Award

LPA Historic Building Management Award

LABC Best Commercial Development Award

RIBA London Conservation Award shortlist

St Paul’s Church, HammersmithRIBA Award

The Barn, Rawstorne PlaceLB Islington Award for Good Conservation

30 Romford Road, E15Civic Trust Awards Commendation

Mansell Refurbishment Commendation

London Electricity Energy Efficiency Award

Valentine’s Park Georgian Group Award

Landscape Institute Commendation

Valentines Park, LB RedbridgeGeorgian Group Award for the Restoration of a Georgian

Garden or Landscape

www.rgarchitects.com