Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre

Birdcage scaffolding in the Assembly Hall during restoration of Hornsey Town Hall, Crouch End London, Studioshaw architects
Project: Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre

Project facts

Client: Hornsey Arts Centre
Location: Hornsey, London
Size: 650m²

Project description

The brief from our client was to bring experience and contemporary thinking to some of the interior spaces of Hornsey Town Hall, a grand public building in Crouch End currently undergoing a deep restoration. We developed thinking in dealing with listed buildings during our Kindred restaurant and co-working project which we were keen to continue.

The Arts Centre is part of a larger development led by Make Architects, including residential blocks, a hotel and the meticulous restoration of the performance and function spaces within the Art-Deco Town Hall.

Our designs are focused on new spaces created in the building and take inspiration from the structure and condition of the original, which varies from room to room. Each space is slightly different but they have a familiarity- a series of bold relevant interventions for new uses which reference closely but do not try to reinstate exactly what was there.

We have worked closely with our client and design team to analyse the uses, capacity and functionality of each space. We enjoy working on projects with multiple uses and functions – they are buildings that are fun to be in.

Project images

Cork block feature in original rates office space at Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre, Crouch End London, Studioshaw architects
Second floor workspaces with private offices and co-working table behind original steel roof trusses, Hornsey Town Hall, Studioshaw
A photograph of the amazing birds cage scaffolding erected in the Assembly Hall during refurbishment.
Ground floor co-work space with original listed windows at Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre, Crouch End London, Studioshaw architects
We love working with existing buildings. Here the various layers of construction are revealed. Each part is carefully marked to aid discussions with Historic England.
Construction layers revealed during refurbishment at Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre, Grade II* listed, Crouch End London, Studioshaw
A view of the co-work space on the ground floor with beautiful listed windows on all four sides. This room was originally a rates office and had a cork floor. We propose to use cork in solid blocks - to form partitions, benches, planters and to hide services.
New co-work spaces within Grade II* listed Art Deco Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre, Crouch End London, Studioshaw architects
The workspaces on the second floor contain private offices and a central co-working table. The original large steel roof trusses remain and can be seen behind translucent polycarbonate sheeting.