I’m intrigued by possible uses for a former Smithfield market building, which seems to have escaped public attention. The derelict General Market and Poultry Market buildings are being converted for the new London Museum, as I wrote here, and the main Meat Market continues to be in operation. But what of The Annex? I discover that one innovative idea is for creative craft workshops developed with City Livery companies. Here’s the story.
Update July 24 2024: the Museum has launched its new website, with a full explanation of how Market buildings will be transformed. The Annex is now not included.
Discussion of public realm improvements in Smithfield at a recent City committee alerted me to The Annex, a building previously part of the market and initially included in plans for the new London Museum. It is owned by the City Corporation. Here’s the exterior, left, with new Museum site right.
The interior still features on the Museum.London site:
“The Annexe buildings hold great potential to expand the cultural presence in Smithfield, creating a campus that will truly transform the area.
“Removal of the 1960s infill will enable a sensitive architectural intervention that stitches together the two buildings and reveals their striking decorative elevations.
“The design creates a large covered arena, open on one side to the street. This will provide a great new public space for performances and installations, making it an ideal venue for museum activities”.
However, I understand that Museum has decided not to proceed with those plans, and as pp 4.10 of the Streets and Walkways committee report says: “the City Surveyor is working with the Environment Team on the Marketing & Disposal plan for this asset”.
That prompted me to search for more information, which I found on the website of Stanton Williams, architects to the Museum, with this image and explanation:
“The Annexe transforms historic but obsolete market buildings at West Smithfield for a variety of new commercial uses. Conceived as the formal gateway to the City of London’s ‘Culture Mile’ district, the project will complement the new Museum of London opposite, also designed by Stanton Williams.
“Located to the south west of the Smithfield Market area, the site comprises four Victorian market trading and storage spaces known historically as The Fish Market, the Red House, Engine House and Iron Mountain.
“The complex project celebrates and retains as much of the historic fabric as possible whilst adapting it to give maximum flexibility of use. Potential uses include offices, retail, leisure, food and drink.
“A key element is the creation of a prominent public space on the site of the demolished Iron Mountain, a 1960s storage building. Partially covered by a lofty new canopy, this vibrant new space runs through the centre of the Annexe, helping it engage with the surrounding public realm and enhancing its new identity as a mixed-use destination”.
Adding:
“Refurbished to shell and core stage, the former Fish Market could support a variety of uses including studios, restaurants, bars, or even a new market. Engine House, a single-storey pavilion separated from the main Annexe site by a road, is repurposed with the help of a new staircase as the entrance to the historic basement vaults. Potential uses include a gym, gallery, bar or restaurant”.
The client is given as the Corporation of London, the year as 2025, the value £50 million, and size some 5000 sqm.
It seems that the current intention is for the refurbishment work to continue to the point at which the City can give itself planning permission, and then sell the site.
I’ll check with the City on that, and whether there are any plans for public consultation about a scheme in such an important location.
Meanwhile councillor John Edwards has for some time been promoting the idea of supporting artisans, and the development of creative craft skills in the City. He has spotted the potential of the Annex, and developed alternative proposals for discussion with Livery Companies, the Corporation, and any developer.
The workshops space would be part of the negotiation by which a developer offers social or cultural benefit in exchange for the planning consent.
John proposes that space in the Annex could be developed to provide craft workshops with teaching space for classes, and an associated market for products. The workshops would be open for public viewing making them a visitor attraction. The operational model could be a social enterprise like Blackhorse Workshop in Walthamstow, or Cockpit Studios in Bloomsbury and Deptford. Here’s John’s paper, with the proposal. Click the flipbook below, or download here.
The social enterprise “will be one of the tenants of the developer, and will provide the workshop spaces to artisans at below market rates because the building and initial services will be provided to them at a relatively low cost. The extent of Livery companies involvement will be discretionary; probably just finding artisans, sponsoring apprentices, and marketing themselves at the workshop and adjacent livery retail shop.
“This is an opportunity for artisans looking for centrally located inexpensive workspace and high footfall for passing trade. In return they will accept that their work will be continuously observable by the public, there will be livery company signage, they will be Liverymen or Freemen themselves, and when applicable provide commercial courses to novices.”
John adds that the workshops would be an attraction supporting the Corporation’s Destination City programme to bring more visitors to the Square Mile – particularly when located next to the new Museum. That is expected to attract at least two million visitors a year.
John suggests Basketmakers, Blacksmiths, Cordwainers (shoe makers and designers) , Cutlers, Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers, Farriers, Pewterers, Spectaclemakers, Stationers, Turners might be among those interested. Goldsmiths already have centre nearby.
John has some personal expertise. He is qualified civil engineer with a range of skills and successful voluntary projects, as you can see here. He built his family house over four years, converting a 19th century warehouse in Carter Lane.
I’ve recently met Alec Forshaw, author of the excellent book Smithfield: Past, Present and Future, and introduced John. Alec responded to John’s paper with strong support for the workshop ideas:
“Your ideas for the wonderful Annexe Building are admirable. With its arcade and multiple spaces above and below ground it would make a brilliant showcase/shopfront for the many traditional trades and skills you mention in your paper – including perhaps also the Founders and Ironmongers who are local to Smithfield. Great Idea to involve Cockpit.
“I do hope that you can persuade your colleagues in the Corporation to pursue this”.
I think John’s ideas could have wide appeal, just when the Destination City programme needs some inspiration. The workshops are the sort of initiative that I think will have appealed to Paul Martin, who recently conducted a review of the programme, and offered a preview of his findings to a Citizens Forum. He emphasised the need to build on the City’s culture and heritage, and develop partnerships to achieve that:
“I’m thinking of cultural and heritage organisations, the Livery companies, the BIDs, businesses themselves, resident organisations – we need to think how we can harness the totality of these enormous and extraordinary community assets to achieve the goals of Destination City”.
Unfortunately progress on Destination City is stalled while new management arrangements are developed, and we only have a brief summary of the review report. The next Citizens Forum will at the Broadworks Cultural Hub, Broad Street, on Tuesday July 16 2024, when we may get an update. Booking here.
Since The Annex has been identified as a potential gateway to Culture Mile, its use might be raised at the first community meeting organised by the Culture Mile Business Improvement District on July 18. More about the event here, what vision there is for the area, and who is responsible for what in Culture Mile.