LONDON BRIDGE AND GUY S CAMPUS CHARACTER AREA APPRAISAL

Transcription

1 LONDON BRIDGE AND GUY S CAMPUS CHARACTER AREA APPRAISAL CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Purpose 3. Context 4. Heritage 5. Built Form 6. Building Frontages 7. Legibility 8. Permeability 9. Streetscape and Public Realm 10.Landscape and Open Space 11. Contacts 12. Glossary 13. References 14. Appendices 1

2 1. Introduction Appraising the historic character and built form of Bankside and the Borough was identified as a high priority in the Bankside and the Borough SPD: Business Case. The study has been extended to London Bridge, Bermondsey and Shad Thames areas. As they both have an important influence over the SPD area. This appraisal forms one of 9 character area appraisals that have been developed for Bankside and the Borough. These appraisals cover the following sub-areas: Borough Markets, Clink Street and Southwark Cathedral; Borough High Street; North of Southwark Street and west of Cannon Street Railway Viaduct; South of Southwark Street and north of Union Street; South of Union Street and north of Borough Road; Blackfriars Road; Bermondsey; London Bridge & Guy s Campus; and Tooley Street. It is intended that these appraisals will guide the development of the Borough, Bankside and London Bridge Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). 2. Purpose The purpose of this character area appraisal is to: Identify listed buildings, conservation areas, archaeological priority zones, areas of special character and buildings of local architectural or historic interest; Appraise building heights and identify areas that allow for the suitable location of tall buildings; Appraise the urban grain and pattern of development, with a particular emphasis on the scale and mass of buildings, plot sizes, street widths and building lines; Appraise building frontages to determine how active they are, with a particular focus on shop fronts; Identify local views and vistas, landmark buildings, pathways, nodes and edges within the urban form; Appraise the accessibility, permeability and safety of pedestrians throughout the urban environment, including pedestrian links between public transport nodes, retail hubs and residential areas; Appraise the streetscape and public realm of the London Bridge and Guy s Campus area; and Appraise the quantity and quality of open space areas within the London Bridge and Guy s Campus area. 3. Context Borough, Bankside, and London Bridge is a district town centre, located within the London Borough of Southwark. It is bordered to the north by the River 2

3 Thames, to the east by Shad Thames, to the south by Elephant and Castle and to the west by the London Borough of Lambeth. The boundary of Borough, Bankside and London Bridge district are shown in figure Heritage Overview The London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area has a diverse historic environment, which includes three conservation areas, an archaeological priority zone, a number of grade II* and grade II listed buildings and groups of buildings of local architectural or historic interest. Brief History The development of the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area commenced with the construction of a permanent bridge across the River Thames, shortly after the Roman invasion of Britain in 43AD. The area then became an important suburb of Londinium establishing itself on the higher sand and gravel islands, which were then surrounded by water channels. In the Middle Ages the Priory of St. Mary Overie founded St. Thomas s Hospital on the site of the present London Bridge Station. By the 15 th century the area around the former Church of St. Thomas and the hospital had become tightly packed with buildings. Figure 2: Southwark Map dated 1896 The establishment of the hospital influenced the pattern of development on the western side of the character area. Here new development was restricted 3

4 to the yards and inns typical of the main street frontage of Borough High Street and to the hospital precinct behind. With the development of the neighbouring Guy s Hospital on adjacent land in the 18 th century, St. Thomas Street became connected with to Bermondsey Street. The 18 th century character of the western end of St. Thomas Street is still evident today. Until the mid 19 th century there were two hospitals located in St. Thomas Street, namely: Guy s and St. Thomas Hospital s. In 1862 the land to the north of St. Thomas Street was requisitioned to enlarge the London Bridge Station terminus and St. Thomas s Hospital moved to its present site in Lambeth. Only one ward building of the former St. Thomas s Hospital remains, as part of the Post Office on Borough High Street. New commercial buildings on London Bridge Street were constructed at this time. Guy s Hospital was unaffected by the arrival of the railway and continued to grow during this period (see figure 2). Guy s Hospital was founded in 1726 by Thomas Guy. It was originally established as a hospital to treat "incurables" discharged from St Thomas' Hospital. The original hospital buildings comprised of a courtyard facing onto St. Thomas Street, a hall on the east side and the chapel to the west. Thomas Dance designed the core of the hospital buildings in the 1720 s (see figure 3). The east and west wings that extend to St. Thomas Street, were added between 1738 and These original parts of the hospital are now administrative and social accommodation. In the early 19 th century, William Hunt donated money for the construction of the original Hunt's House. This building was replaced in 1999; when the current New Hunt's House was constructed to house the Guy's, King's & St Thomas' Schools of Biomedical Sciences, Medicine and Dentistry. The Henriette Raphael building was constructed in 1903, as the first purpose built nurses' home in the United Kingdom. Figure 3: Guy s Hospital main building Figure 4: London Bridge House In 1392 a proclamation had given the butchers from The City of London a place in Southwark to dump their waste. These by-products of the butcher s trade, established the leather working trade in the Bermondsey area. Also 4

5 locally available were the other raw materials required for the tanning process, namely: water from the areas many streams and oak bark from the woods of south London. This industry continued in the eastern side of the character area during the 19 th century. The tanner s yards are marked on Rocque s Map (date 1746), and it indicates their presence along Long Lane. Together with the leather industry, other industries began to flourish in the area, bringing with it migrant workers. These included Flemings from Flanders. A Flemish Burial Ground is located on the present site of London Bridge Station. During the World War II the area was heavily bombed, in particular the area to the north of Long Lane. This character area was transformed after the war. When large areas of the terraced housing, with narrow frontages were cleared away and residential blocks with large frontages were constructed in their place. During the period of the Blitz ( ) Guy s Hospital suffered badly, being hit by high explosive and incendiary bombs. After the Second World War the east wing of the main building on St. Thomas Street rebuilt. In 1961 the 11 storey New Guy s House was opened and this was followed in 1975 by the 30 storey Guy s Tower. Further extensions to the campus include the construction of Thomas Guy House in 1995 and New Hunt s House in Other post war developments in the area included the office buildings around the London Bridge. These buildings represent commercial developments of the 1960 s and 70 s e.g. London Bridge House; designed by R. Seifert and Partners, was constructed in 1962 (see figure 4). Conservation Areas Two conservation areas are in existence within the character area (see Appendix 2). The Borough High Street Conservation Area was originally designated in July 1968; by the Greater London Council, under the Civic Amenities Act Which was introduced to preserve the special architectural and historic interest of the locality. The conservation area was subsequently extended in 1973 and The Bermondsey Street Conservation Area was designated in 1972; and extended in 1991 and again in The Council are currently out to public consultation regarding the proposed extension of the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area. However, this extension does not fall within the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area. Both the Borough High Street and Bermondsey Street Conservation Area Appraisals have been adopted by Council, and can be downloaded from the Southwark Council website. Listed Buildings A large number of listed buildings are located within the character area (see Appendix 3) and are identified below. Grade I Listed 5

6 There is no Grade I listed building in the character area. Grade II* Listed No. 9 St. Thomas Street; No. 9A St. Thomas Street; No s 11 and 13 St. Thomas Street; and Guy s Hospital main building (including wings and chapel) St. Thomas Street. Grade II Listed No s 25 and 27 Crosby Row (see figure 5); Old King s Head Inn, King s Head Yard; No. 65 Newcomen Street (King s Arms Public House); London Bridge Station, Platforms 9-16 Railway Approach; No. 2 St. Thomas Street (Bunch of Grapes Public House); North wall to St. George s Gardens; No s 4-8 (even) St. Thomas Street; No s (even) St. Thomas Street; No. 15 St. Thomas Street; K2 Telephone kiosk outside No s 17 and 19 St. Thomas Street; Gates, gate piers and street railings to Guy s Hospital, St. Thomas Street; Statue of Thomas Guy in front courtyard of Guy s Hospital, St. Thomas Street; and Alcove from old London Bridge, St. Thomas Street (see figure 6). Figure 5: No s 23 & 25 Crosby Row Figure 6: Alcove, St. Thomas Street Archaeology Priority Zones The Borough, Bermondsey and Rivers Archaeological Priority Zone (APZ) encapsulates all of the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area (see Appendix 4). Guy s Hospital was located back from the built-up street frontages of the Roman and medieval town. During the Roman period a major channel divided this area running north to south along the line of Crosby Row and continuing along Great Maze Pond. It is apparent that this 6

7 channel was navigable during the Roman period, as a boat has been excavated at Guy s Hospital, which is now preserved as a Scheduled Monument. Excavations have also indicated that the Roman settlement continued up to the margins of this channel. To the east of the channel, on the north eyote of Roman Southwark, underneath the Chapter House of St Thomas, characteristic ard marks have been identified. This indicates the potential for Bronze Age agricultural evidence to survive in this area. The street Great Maze Pond reflects the name of one of the major medieval houses; the Maze, which was originally located in this area to the south of the medieval hospital. The hospital was dedicated to Thomas Becket and archaeological remains are likely to survive within the present forecourt of London Bridge Station and north of St Thomas Street. In the post-medieval period the foundation of Guy s Hospital represented an expansion of charitable interest in this part of the borough. Buildings of local architectural or historic interest The London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area contains a number of local buildings of historic and/ or architectural importance (see Appendix 5). These buildings are of significance to the Borough, Bankside, and London Bridge area and should be protected or enhanced. Given the range of buildings of historic or architectural significance in this area, it is suggested that some buildings are listed individually, while others should be listed as a group. In many cases, buildings that are located as a group, form some of the best surviving sections of the Borough, Bankside, and London Bridge area and may include listed buildings. Buildings that should be listed individually include: St. Hilda s Church, Crosby Row; London Bridge Station, Platforms 9-16 Railway Approach; No. 44 Kipling Street (Britannia Public House); No. 50 Kipling Street; Our Lady of La Salette R.C. Church, Melior Street; The Horseshoe Inn, No. 26 Melior Street (see figure 7) ; Lodge, St. George s Garden (see figure 55); No. 1 London Bridge Street; War Memorial, Memorial Park; K2 Telephone Kiosk, St. Thomas Street; No s (even) St. Thomas Street (see figure 8); and No s 9 17 (odd) Vinegar Yard. 7

8 Figure 7: No. 26 Melior Street Figure 8: No s St. Thomas Street Buildings that should be listed as a group within the individual sub-areas include: London Bridge Station No s 4-6, 8 and No s (London Bridge Hotel) London Bridge Street, are a group of buildings on the northern most edge of the Borough High Street Conservation Area (see figure 9). No s 4-6 and 8 London Bridge Street are a group of late 19 th century 4 storey buildings. No s 4-6 London Bridge Street is a former hop factors premises, with 2 main storeys and a modern 2 storey extensions. Both No s and No. 8 are late 19 th / early 20 th century buildings. No. 8 is 4 storeys and No s storeys, with an attic. Together these buildings all provide a strong street elevation to London Bridge Street. Figure 9: No s London Bridge Street Figure 10: King s Head Yard St. Thomas Street West North side of King s Head Yard (south side of New City Court) and Old Kings Head Inn: are a group of late 19 th century 2 storey buildings. The buildings are the only remains of the earlier street pattern (see 8

9 figure 10); The former Church of St. Thomas, No s 9-17 (odd) St. Thomas Street: a complete group of early 18 th century buildings. The former Church of St. Thomas and No s 9-13 St. Thomas Street are all listed grade II*. No. 15 is a grade II listed building. No s 9-17 are all 3 storeys in height, with attics. Both the former Church of St. Thomas and No s 9 and 9A are in the plain Queen Anne style; No s 2, 4-8, (even) St. Thomas Street: together form a strong group of early to late 19 th century grade II listed buildings (see figure 11). The buildings are all 3 storeys in height with an attic, and form a strong urban group, with the buildings on the northern side of St. Thomas Street; and Guy s Hospital main building, gates, piers and railings and Statue of Thomas Guy, are an important complex of early 18 th century buildings and historic street furniture. The Centre Block, West Wing and Chapel are grade II* listed buildings, and the statue gates and railings are also grade II listed. Figure 11: No s 4-16 St. Thomas Street Figure 12: No s Weston Street St. Thomas Street East No s (even) and No. 60 Weston Street is a pair of warehouse buildings. No s Weston Street is a 3 storey early 20 th century building in the Arts and Craft style. No. 60 Weston Street is a late 19 th century warehouse of 4 storeys in height. Together these buildings provide enclosure to the street on the eastern side (see figure 12). Guy s Campus Shepherd s House, Henriette Raphael House and Hodgkin Building, Guy s Campus: are a group of late 19 th / early 20 th century buildings on the western side of Memorial Park (see figure 13). Together with 9

10 grade II* Guy s Hospital buildings this group has a strong urban character. North of Long Lane No s (odd) Crosby Row are a group of 18 th, 19 th and 20 th century buildings, on the western side of Crosby Row. No s 25 and 27 Crosby Row is a pair of grade II listed buildings. These townhouses date from the late 18 th century and form a terrace of four 3 storey properties along with No s 21 and 23 Crosby Row. No s (Plantain Place) Crosby Row a late 19 th century 3 storey tenement development, set around a courtyard (see figure 14). Baden Place (No s (odd) Crosby Row) dates from the early 20 th century and is a commercial 3 storey development set around a courtyard. There is a distinctive Art Deco style clock tower at the western end of the courtyard. Completing the group is No. 37 Crosby Row (Whitesmiths Arms), which is a 3 storey 19 th century public house; Figure 13: Henriette Raphael House Figure 14: Plantain Place Crosby Row No s 4 9 (consec.) Newcomen Street and King s Arms Public House: No s 3-8 (consec.) Newcomen Street is a terrace of five 3 storey, mid 19 th century buildings properties. Completing the group is No. 9 Newcomen Street, which is a 4 storey building with basement. This 19 th century building has fine iron railings around the basement lightwells and is constructed with red brick and Yorkstone decorative detailing. Opposite is the grade II listed King s Arms Public House. The Kings Arms was constructed in It is 3 storeys in height, with decorative stucco dressings. This group of buildings are a reminder of the earlier Victorian street pattern and together provide tight street scale and historic character in a street otherwise spoilt by 20 th century developments; and Axe & Bottle Court, Newcomen Street: is a pair of mid to later 19 th century warehouses, on the east side of Axe and Bottle Court. The northern warehouse is 3 storeys and the building to the south, 4 10

11 storeys in height. Sites suitable for redevelopment There are a number of sites located throughout the character area that contribute poorly to the appearance of the area and the historic environment. As such, it is recommended that they be nominated for future redevelopment. These sites are shown in Appendix 6 and are also identified below: Redevelopment of the gap sites between Fenning Street and Snowsfields, No s Weston Street and No s St. Thomas Street (see figure 15 and 16). There is an opportunity here for the construction of tall buildings and public realm improvements. Consideration should be given to a foothill building; approximately 100 metres in height, at the Weston Street end of the site, which steps down significantly towards the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area. Any new development should be subservient to the London Bridge Tower and have regard to the historic buildings in the conservation area; Figure 15: Gap site between Fenning Street and Snowsfields Figure 16: No s St. Thomas Street There is an opportunity for the construction of a new building approximately 60 metres in height over London Bridge Station. Any new development should be subservient to the London Bridge Tower, integrate with the London and Greenwich Railway Viaduct and provide a quality frontage onto St. Thomas Street; Redevelopment of the car park sites off Tennis Street, Tabard Gardens Estate (see figure 17). New buildings should reflect prevailing building heights of 3 to 5 storeys; 11

12 Figure 17: Gap site Tennis Street Figure 18: No. 171 Long Lane Redevelopment of No.171 Long Lane, there is a potential here for a landmark building to mark the gateway into Weston Street and the character area. Any new development should also reflect prevailing building heights of 6 to 7 storeys (see figure 18); Redevelopment of the multi-storey car park in Snowsfields. New development should reflect prevailing building heights of 4 to 6 storeys (see figure 19); Redevelopment of No s Snowsfields (The Miller Public House) and No s Snowsfields. Any new development should reflect prevailing building heights and step up from 4 to 6 storeys; Redevelopment of No s Snowsfields (Munro Clinic) and the gap sites either side. Opportunity here for a development, which along with redevelopment of the multi-storey car park site and No s Snowfields should provide containment to the street; Figure 19: Multi-storey car park, Snowsfields Figure 20: No s Newcomen Street 12

13 Redevelopment of No s Newcomen Street. Any new development should reflect adjacent building heights of 4 storeys (see figure 20); Redevelopment of the Porlock Hall, Porlock Street Any new development should reflect prevailing building heights of 3 to 4 storeys; There is an opportunity to redevelop the 1950 s building (No s Long Lane) and the gap site at the corner of Crosby Row and Long Lane (see figure 21). Consideration should be given to a pivotal corner building, which responds sympathetically to the 3 storey building height of No. 89 Long Lane; Redevelopment of No. 15 Tennis Street. Any new development to reflect building heights of 3 to 4 storeys; and Redevelopment of No s 14-17, 18-19, 20 Newcomen Street and Nuffield House. There is an opportunity here to introduce an active frontage onto Newcomen Street. Any new development should respond to the prevailing building heights of 4 storeys on Newcomen Street. Figure 21: Gap site on Crosby Row Figure 22: No s London Bridge Street 5. Built Form Overview The following section provides an analysis of the character area s urban form, looking at: building heights, building lines, plot sizes, the scale and mass of buildings and street widths. Varying development pressures have shaped the current built form of the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area. For the purposes of this appraisal, the character area has been broken up into six sub areas to satisfactorily analyse the built form. These are shown in Appendix 7 and include: London Bridge Station; St. Thomas Street West; 13

14 St. Thomas Street East; Guy s Campus; Tabard Garden Estate and Newcomen Street; and North of Long Lane (Beormund School to Weston Street). London Bridge Station No. 1 (Three Castles House) London Bridge Street is a late 19 th century building of 3 storeys in height. It is a pivotal building on the corner of Railway Approach and London Bridge Street and marks one of the gateways into the character area. The red brick and Portland stone detailing reflects that found on the buildings directly opposite, No s 4-18 (even) London Bridge Street. No. 1 London Bridge Street is primarily a disguised vent shaft and escape stairs for the London Underground. On the south side of London Bridge Street are: No s 4-6, 8 and No s (London Bridge Hotel). No s 4-6 and 8 London Bridge Street are a group of late 19 th century buildings, of 4 storeys in height. No s 4-6 London Bridge Street is a former hop factors premises, with 2 main storeys and a modern 2 storey extension. Both No s and No. 8 are late 19 th / early 20 th century buildings. No. 8 is 4 storeys and No s is 5 storeys in height, with an attic. Together these buildings provide a strong elevation to London Bridge Street. Figure 23: London Bridge House Figure 24: Fielden House While the office buildings around the London Bridge area represent commercial developments of the 1950 s, 1960 s and 70 s, it is considered that their built form makes little contribution to the character of the area (see figures 22 and 23). On the triangular site formed by London Bridge Street and Railway Approach is a pair of 1960 s buildings: New London Bridge House and London Bridge House. New London Bridge House is a concrete framed building, with part 22-storey office tower (built ) facing the station and part 3-storey offices fronting London Bridge Street (see figure 25). London Bridge House is a separate 3-storey building, which was constructed in

15 Planning permission was granted in 2007 for the demolition of New London Bridge House, London Bridge House and Three Castles House. The consent also covered the construction of mixed use building of around 58,800m² on basement, lower ground and 18 upper floors. The proposed building would be a total height of 88 metres from the Joiner Street level, dropping to 45 metres above pavement level at the south and west of the site. The new building will provide: offices, retail and food & drink uses. Part of the proposed scheme includes: a new bus station, taxi rank and pedestrian concourse and entrance to London Bridge Underground Station on Joiner Street. At concourse level, the north elevation of the building is defined by the proposed Thameslink 2000 route. New retail spaces will be introduced and space provided for 26 taxis and 21 bus stands. To the west; on Railway Approach, a loading dock will service the new building. Part of the proposal includes the moving of the bus station onto London Bridge Approach. The roof over the existing bus station will be demolished and in its place a new public open space will be created connecting the new development to London Bridge Station. This will be planted with mature trees and paved in high quality stone. Opposite New London Bridge House are two buildings, 4 storeys in height. No s and No (Fielden House) London Bridge Street, which dates from the 1970 s and 1950 s respectively (see figure 24). Both buildings have wide frontages of between 27 and 32 metres. While these buildings respect the verticality of the adjacent 19 th century buildings, they are plainer, utilitarian in character and lack the colour and individuality of their 19 th century neighbours. London Bridge Street gently rises from the entrance on Borough High Street, to Fielden House. The increase in building height is such that the street leads into a high level pedestrian walkway connecting London Bridge Station with the first floor entrance to Guy s Hospital. Access to St. Thomas Street; directly beneath, is via a metal external staircase adjacent to Boland House. Figure 25: New London Bridge House Figure 26: Railway Approach At the junction between Joiner Street, St. Thomas Street and Great Maze Pond, construction work is underway on the London Bridge Tower (The Shard), which was granted consent in The development replaces a 24 15

16 storey 1970 s office tower on the site adjacent to London Bridge Station. When completed the slim spiked form glazed tower will be 306 metres and 68 storeys in height. The accommodation at the base of the new building will include: shops, restaurants and conference facilities. Along the northern side of Railway Approach runs the railway viaduct linking London Bridge Station to central London. The brick arches underneath the viaduct had been previously filled in and converted to retail use. However, they are now boarded up and the road closed at the Borough High Street junction, due to the Thameslink 2000 construction work (see figure 26). St. Thomas Street West The western end of St. Thomas Street is characterised by 18 th century and early 19 th century properties, forming a relatively complete townscape setting. Within this part of the character area there is a high concentration of listed buildings. The entrance to St. Thomas Street from Borough High Street is narrow, between two strong corner buildings at No s 21 and 27 Borough High Street. The street width between buildings here is only 12.5 metres. There is a marked change in character here between Borough High Street and St. Thomas Street. The immediate landmark on entry into St. Thomas Street is the tower of the former Church of St. Thomas (see figure 27). The church dates from and is a grade II* listed building, in the Queen Anne style. The tower stands at one end of a slightly tapering street space in front of the grade II* listed terrace No s 9-13 (odd) St. Thomas Street (see figure 28). The unlisted No. 17 St. Thomas Street closes the street vista. The street width; building to building, between No. 15 and the main Guy s Hospital building is 30 metres. These buildings are 3 storeys with attics and basements. The building frontages range between 8 and 9 metres. Their forecourt setting is also of importance due to the survival of iron railings and historic road and pavement surface treatments. Figure 27: Western end of St. Thomas Street Figure 28: No s 9-13 St. Thomas Street 16

17 Continuing the building line from No. 17 St. Thomas Street to Joiner Street is No. 21 St. Thomas Street, a 1990 s property. This building is 4 storeys in height with a long street frontage of 45 metres. On the southern side of St. Thomas Street the plots are narrower, typically 5 to 6 metres wide. The buildings are 3 storeys with attics and basements and provide a good enclosure to the street. No s 2-16 (even) St. Thomas Street is a group of grade II listed buildings. No. 2, The Bunch of Grapes Public House marks the end of a terrace of 6 buildings. The basement railings along the terrace provide an example of a classic early 19 th century street frontage. In between No s 2-16 (even) St. Thomas Street and the main Guy s Hospital building are: No. 20 (New City Court) and No s 24 and 26 St. Thomas Street. New City Court is a 4 storey building constructed in 1995 (see figure 29). The building fails to respect prevailing heights, building lines and existing vertical rhythm of the street. No s 24 and 26 St. Thomas Street dates from 1863 and was constructed for Guy s Hospital medical staff. It is a semidetached pair of 4 storey buildings in red brick with carved stone decoration. Figure 29: New London Bridge House Figure 30: Guy s Hospital main building Immediately behind New City Court is King s Head Yard, which runs parallel to St. Thomas Street. The narrow street is part of the medieval street pattern which characterises Borough High Street, whereby narrow frontages and long plots were adopted for coaching inns. North side of King s Head Yard (south side of New City Court) and Old Kings Head Inn: are late 19 th century 2 storey buildings. King s Head Yard provides a pedestrian link between Borough High Street and Guy s Hospital. The buildings here are the only remains of the earlier street pattern. The Guy s Hospital and chapel is the focal point of St. Thomas Street and is a 3 storey grade II* listed building. The complex dates from but was remodelled several times during the 18 th century. In the 20 th century; following damage sustained during the Second World War, the east wing was rebuilt. The buildings are arranged around a forecourt with gateposts and railings maintaining the street line (see figure 30). The forecourt is currently 17

18 used for car parking and seriously detracts from the setting of this important complex of listed buildings. At the junction with the Joiner Street and Great Maze Pond, the western wing of the original Guy s Hospital closes the southerly vista to St. Thomas Street. The width of St. Thomas Street here is 15 metres. At this intersection, a high level footbridge from London Bridge Station crosses the street to Thomas Guy s House. The 30 storey Guy s Tower dominates southeast views from St. Thomas Street. Immediately past the junction with Joiner Street and Great Maze Pond the street width increases to 16.5 metres. St. Thomas Street East The southern side of St. Thomas Street between the Snowsfields and Weston Street intersection is characterised by gap sites and uninspiring buildings. No s (even) St. Thomas Street and the adjoining No s (even) Weston Street are both late 20 th century commercial buildings. No s (even) St. Thomas Street is 7 storey building, with a built frontage of 54 metres (see figure 31). Although the frontage of the adjoining No s (even) Weston Street is narrower at 33 metres. The building is taller at10 storeys in height. Consideration should be given to redeveloping these sites in order to activate the street frontage. While the principle of tall buildings in this location was reinforced by the granting of planning permission for the London Bridge Tower ( Shard of Glass ) in Any new development should respect the character of its immediate environs e.g. No s 9-17 (odd) Vinegar Yard and the 2 to 3 storey buildings in Melior Place. An important consideration will be the impact of any new development on the historic buildings within the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area. There is the opportunity here for a foothill building approximately 100 metres in height, at the Weston Street end of the site. Any new development should be subservient to the London Bridge Tower and step down significantly towards the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area. The site is also directly opposite the proposed new entrance to London Bridge Station (see figure 32). Therefore consideration should be given to the introduction of high quality landscaping scheme in this location. The new development should be positioned at least 10 metres from the street edge, in order to increase pavement widths along St. Thomas Street. Particular consideration should be given to the introduction of street furniture, trees and public street art. 18

19 Figure 31: No s (even) St. Thomas Street Figure 32: London Bridge Station Between the junction of Weston Street and Great Maze Pond are the Southwark and Bermondsey Wings (Thomas Guy House) of Guy s Hospital. This brick 1990 s building has a frontage on St. Thomas Street of over 150 metres in width and rises to 7 storeys (see figure 33). At 27 metres, the highway width of St. Thomas Street is at its greatest. Figure 33: Thomas Guy House Figure 34 No s 9-17 Vinegar Yard Originally the area between St. Thomas Street and Snowsfields was occupied by hop warehouses and terraced housing with narrow frontages. The former warehouse in Vinegar Yard (No s 9 17) is a reminder of the 19 th century street pattern. The building is a late 19 th century former hop warehouse of 5 storeys, which still retains its loading bay, timber taking-in doors, flaps and jib crane (see figure 34). The scale of the buildings between St. Thomas Street and Snowsfields is more intimate and predominantly 2 to 3 storeys. A key building in this part of the character area is No. 26 Melior Street (The Horseshoe Inn) which is a late 19 th century public house. The pub is in a pivotal location closing the east end of the street and is a visual focus when viewed from Snowsfields via Melior 19

20 Place and Weston Street. The building is contemporary with the Guinness Trust Buildings on Snowsfields, which are located in the Bermondsey Character Area. It is an elaborately decorated and detailed building, drawing the eye from its more mediocre immediate surroundings. Surrounding the Horseshoe Inn there is also a variety of the other small buildings, namely: Our Lady of La Salette R.C. Church (see figure 35), Glasshouse Theatre Studio and a warehouse on Fenning Street, which all contribute further interest to the local streetscape. These 19 th century buildings are predominantly 2 to 3 storeys in height, with built frontages of 10 to 16 metres. Street widths in this area vary from 8 metres in Fenning Street to 13.5 metres in Melior Place. Figure 35: Our Lady of La Salette R.C. Church Figure 36: Greenwood Theatre Weston Street At the northern end of Weston Street there are other examples of the warehouses which once occupied this part of the character area e.g. No s (even) and No. 60. No s Weston Street is a 3 storey early 20 th century building in the Arts and Craft style. No. 60 Weston Street is a late 19 th century warehouse of 4 storeys. Both buildings are 3 bays wide, with loading doors. The 8 metre frontages are typical of the narrow plots which once characterised the area. Weston Street runs north to south linking St. Thomas Street to Long Lane. The typical highway width along this part of St. Thomas Street is 13 metres. In comparison at the junction with Snowsfields, the street width of Weston Street reduces down from 12 to 9 metres. Weston Street widens again at the intersection with Long Lane to a width of 15 metres. On the western side of the street is the Greenwood Theatre and Wolfson House, which form part of the Guy s Campus (see figure 36). The buildings have frontages of 44 metres (Greenwood Theatre) and 15 metres (Wolfson House) and building heights of 2 and 18 storeys respectively. 20

21 Figure 37: No s Snowsfields Figure 38: No s 73-77) Weston Street At the junction with Melior Place are two new office and residential developments (No s 50 and Weston Street). No. 50 Weston Street is an 8 storey development which has failed to articulate the corner of the street in a comparable way to the buildings on the eastern side of Weston Street. Both buildings have street frontages of 10 metres. There is a drop in building height from No. 50 to No s 52-54, of 8 to 6 storeys. Prior to the Second World War, a tight urban grain existed at the junction of Snowsfields and Weston Street. This street form has since been transformed. No s Snowsfields is a late 20 th century 3 storey building, which has long frontages on both Weston Street and Snowsfields (see figure 37). Unlike the Rose Public House directly opposite, this building fails to punctuate the southerly vista along Weston Street. No s 73-77(odd) Weston Street; the adjacent 3 storey building, which was once part of a leather warehouse complex and has since been converted to office use (see figure 38). This building forms part of a gated development with No s (odd) Weston Street, a single storey 1930 s building. Guy Street Park is located at the junction with Guy Street. The western side of the park is on the site of a former burial ground and in the 19 th century the eastern side was occupied by terrace housing. These narrow residential plots continued all the way to the intersection with Long Lane. Today this area is occupied by the 1960 s Lockyer Estate. Views south along Weston Street are dominated by a pair of 20 storey residential towers: Burwash House and Simla House. Elsewhere the residential blocks are predominantly 4 storeys in height with buildings frontages typically of 25 to 42 metres (see figure 39). The layout of the Lockyer Estate does not reflect the 19 th century street pattern and instead is a series of blocks surrounded by open space and car parking areas. This arrangement of the residential blocks and car parking fragments the continuity of the street form at the southern end of Weston Street. At the junction with Long Lane is the former Valentine and Orson Public House (No. 171 Long Lane). Redevelopment of this vacant building provides an opportunity for a landmark building to mark the gateway into Weston Street and the character area. 21

22 Figure 39: Lockyer Estate Figure 40: Guy s Campus Snowsfields Guy s Campus Along Snowsfields during the 19 th century, a tight urban grain of narrow residential terraces existed. The character of Snowsfields west of Weston Street has suffered from the intrusion of modern development. These post war developments provide a poor sense of enclosure and undefined frontages (see figure 40). As such, consideration should be given to introducing a consistent building line and frontage along Snowsfields. Street widths; from building to building, also vary considerably. At the junction with Weston Street the width of the highway between buildings is 10.5 metres. This increases to 17 metres by the multi-storey car park and then decreases down to 13 metres by Great Maze Pond. On the junction is No s Snowsfields is a late 20 th century 3 storey building. The architectural quality of the building is mediocre, with its bland long frontages on both Weston Street and Snowsfields. The building fails to respond positively to the corner. Adjacent to No s Snowsfields is a small private car parking area enclosed by brick piers and metal railings. The multi-storey car park at the junction with Kipling Street is 6 storeys in height and has a built frontage of 52 metres. Buildings west of Kipling Street have a drop in height from 6 to 2 storeys. No s Snowsfields is a group of 1950 s which provide an unattractive focal point on approach from Great Maze Pond in the north (see figure 41) 22

23 Figure 41: The Miller Public House, Snowsfields Figure 42: Borough Wing The northern side of Snowsfields forms the rear to the Guy s Hospital Campus. The building heights along this section vary from 2 to 4 storeys. This contrasts with the Borough Wing building (11 storeys) and Guy s Tower (30 storeys), which are located directly behind in the Guy s Hospital campus (see figure 42). The gap sites in between these buildings provide poor containment to the street. Consideration should be given to redeveloping this section of Snowsfields, in order to provide containment to the public realm and maintain a strong street frontage. New development will need to be of an appropriate scale and proportions to maintain a consistent building line and have regards to local context. Great Maze Pond forms the eastern boundary of the Borough High Street Conservation Area. The street is the primary route into the Guy s Campus from London Bridge and Borough Station. The eastern side of the street has a strong building line, provided by the 3 and 4 storey high frontage of the original Guy s Hospital buildings. This has been continued at the southern end of the street, by New Hunt House. Completed in 2000; the 7 storey building, is home to Guy's, King's & St Thomas' Schools of Biomedical Sciences, Medicine and Dentistry. The building replaced the original Hunt s House, which was built in the early 19 th century from money donated by a William Hunt. New Hunt House has a long frontage of 137 metres on Great Maze Pond (see figure 43). The high level access, air handling units and fencing to lightwells, all detract from the quality of the listed buildings, at the northern end of Great Maze Pond. 23

24 Figure 43: New Hunt House Figure 44: Memorial Park On the eastern side of Great Maze Pond the staggered building lines and heights disrupt the continuity of the street. Overall the buildings do not relate to one another either in: architectural treatment, material or height. The ventilation building is 2 storeys in height and surrounded by large waste bins. The design of the building and the waste bins; immediately outside, is having an adverse impact on the character of the area. The main entrance to the hospital is set well back from Great Maze Pond and the front elevation lacks definition. Consideration should be given to improving the entrance and forecourt area to the hospital and also the public realm to Great Maze Pond. Memorial Park is a landscape area (4,000 m²) off of Collingwood Street (see figure 44). It is bordered on all 4 sides by buildings forming part of the Guy s Campus. On the eastern side of Memorial Park, is New Hunt House. The western side is formed by: Shepherd s House, Henriette Raphael House and the Hodgkin Building. The buildings on the western edge date from the late 19 th / early 20 th century buildings. Together with grade II* Guy s Hospital to the north, these buildings have a strong urban character. On the southern edge is Nuffield House, a 5 storey mid 20 th century building (see figure 45). This building is positioned perpendicular to both the park and Newcomen Street. There is an opportunity here to redevelop the site, in order to reinforce the Newcomen Street frontage and improve the setting of Memorial Park. Similarly, Orchard Lisle House at the western end of Collingwood Street is another mediocre 20 th century building, which fails to punctuate the westerly vista from Great Maze Pond (see figure 46). 24

25 Figure 45: Nuffield House Figure 46: Orchard Lisle House In 1974, Guy s Tower was constructed in the area between St. Thomas Street and Snowsfields. At 143 metres high, this is one of the tallest hospital buildings in the world. The hospital occupies a site on the eastern side of Great Maze Pond of 30,000 m². Also at this location are Borough Wing and Tabard Annexe, which are both buildings of 7 storeys in height. In 1995, Thomas Guy House, was completed. This 7 storey high building now occupies the site immediately south of St. Thomas Street. Thomas Guy House has a frontage of over 150 metres along St. Thomas Street. On the western side of the site are Greenwood Theatre and Wolfson House. Which have building heights of 2 and 18 storeys respectively and combined frontage of 59 metres. Tabard Garden Estate and Newcomen Street Prior to the Second World War, a tight urban grain of residential terraces existed in the area north of Long Lane. The street form has since been transformed and the only pre-war development which remains in this sub-area is to be found on: Crosby Row and Newcomen Street. Larger residential buildings; with associated car parking and open space area, have replaced the Georgian and Victorian houses, shops and warehouses e.g. the Tabard Garden Estates. These residential blocks present negatively to the street and provide little or no interest to the street edge. Also in this area there are number of gap sites and buildings of low architectural quality (e.g. No, 15 Tennis Street). Consideration should be given to redeveloping these sites. New development should be of an appropriate scale and proportion and provide containment to the street. On the whole recent development in this part of the character area has been of a poor architectural quality e.g. Chaloner Court. An exception to this being the extension to the Southwark Coroner s Court (Tennis Street) completed in 2000 (see figure 47). While the materials are incongruous (metal and timber cladding) the extension acts a pivotal building, on the southerly vista to Tennis Street. 25

26 Figure 47: Southwark Coroner s Court Figure 48: Bowling Green Place The Tabard Gardens Estate occupies an area between Long Lane in the south and Newcomen Street in the north. The residential blocks range in height from 4 to 5 storeys and having long building frontages. While the landscaping is mature, the buildings contribute little to the public realm. This is particularly notable between the Tennis Street and Crosby Row intersections on Long Lane. Here the residential blocks fail to provide a continuity of street frontage, definition and enclosure to the public realm. Street widths in this part of the character area (e.g. Tennis Street, Mermaid Court and Bowling Green Place) range between 6.5 and 7 metres (see figure 48). The character of Crosby Row is extremely varied. No s (odd) Crosby Row is a terrace of 4 properties dating from the late 18 th century. No s 25 and 27 are also grade II listed buildings. These properties are 3 storeys (with attic conversions at No s 23 and 27). An inheritance from the early phase of development in the area, are the individual plot sizes making up the terrace, which is typically 5 to 6 metres wide, and 26 metre deep. Figure 49: Crosby Row Figure 50: Elizabeth Newcomen House To the south of No. 21 Crosby Row is Plantain Place (No s Crosby Row). A late 19 th century 3 storey tenement development, set around a courtyard. This development respects prevailing plot sizes on Crosby Row, with the blocks set perpendicular to the street. A comparable scheme is 26

27 Baden Place (No s (odd) Crosby Row) which dates from the early 20 th century. This is a commercial 3 storey development set around a courtyard and has a distinctive Art Deco style clock tower, at the western end. While the blocks are also set perpendicular to Crosby Row, the street frontages are wider at 10 metres. Completing the group is No. 37 Crosby Row (Whitesmiths Arms), a 3 storey 19 th century public house (see figure 49). At the junction with Newcomen Street is Elizabeth Newcomen House, which is 4 storey building. This 1990 s residential block replaced a school, terraced housing and a public house on the corner of Newcomen Street and Crosby Row. Elizabeth Newcomen House has long building frontages of 32 metres. This mediocre development presents negatively with the street edge, and fails to act as a pivotal building on this key southerly vista (see figure 50). On the eastern side of Crosby Row, is a row of 2 storey houses (No s (even) Crosby Row) adjacent to a 4 storey mid 20 th residential development (No s (even) Crosby Row). This development has not respected the earlier street form of narrower terraced properties and has a building frontage of 48 metres. While the combined street and pavement width along Crosby Row is consistently 12.5 metres, the building to building width vary considerably. No s (odd) Crosby Row represent a fragment of the historic urban form and have a strong frontage on the street edge. In contrast the 20 th century developments; No s (even) Crosby Row are set further back and provide poor containment to the street (see figure 51). Figure 51: No s Crosby Row Figure 52: St. Hugh s Church Crosby Row Opposite No. 17 Crosby Row is St. Hugh s Church (Charterhouse Mission), which dates from the late 19 th century (see figure 52). It is a substantial building of 3 storeys in height and has a building frontage of 24 metres. St. Hugh s Church commands southern views along Crosby Row. Towards the intersection with Long Lane, are the entrance gates to Beormund Primary School, followed by a gap site occupied by a large advertising hoarding. Consideration should be given to the removal of the advertising hoarding and redevelopment of the site with the adjacent buildings (No s (odd) Long 27

28 Lane). There is an opportunity here to introduce a pivotal corner building appropriate in scale and proportion. No s 3-8 Newcomen Street is a terrace of five 3 storey, mid 19 th century buildings properties. Completing the group is No. 9 Newcomen Street, which is a 4 storey 19 th century building with iron railings around the basement (see figure 53). It is also constructed with red brick and Yorkstone decorative detailing. Opposite is the grade II listed King s Arms Public House. The Kings Arms was constructed in It is 3 storeys in height and with decorative stucco dressings. This group of buildings are a reminder of the earlier Victorian street pattern and together provide tight street scale and historic character, in a street otherwise spoilt by 20 th century developments. Figure 53: No s 3-9 Newcomen Street Figure 54: Eastern end of Newcomen Street No s (even) Newcomen Street is a flat roofed 3 storey building with a 19 metre frontage (see figure 20). The building dates from the 1950 s and its dominant garages and horizontal fenestration, detracts from the quality of the streetscape. An opportunity exists here to redevelop the site, with a building that respects adjacent building heights and is sympathetic to the character and appearance of the Borough High Street Conservation Area. The western end of Newcomen Street provides a good sense of enclosure to the street, which is created by the 3 storey buildings. East of the King s Arms Public House the 19 th century form fragments. The 20 th century developments which prevail along the south side are uninspiring and lack the interest and vitality of their historic neighbours. The residential blocks (e.g. Betsham House, Northfleet House and Elizabeth Newcomen House) and car park areas; which replaced the terrace housing and warehouses, fragment the continuity of the street form. The north side is characterised by the rear and side elevations of the Guy s Campus buildings (e.g. Hodgkin Building, Nuffield House and New Hunt s House). The principal elevations of these buildings front internally onto Memorial Park and therefore they fail to make a positive contribution to Newcomen Street. Consideration should be given to redeveloping No s 14-17, 18-19, 20 Newcomen Street and Nuffield House (see figure 54). There is an opportunity here to introduce an active frontage at the southern end of Guy s Campus and to provide a good sense of enclosure onto Newcomen Street. 28