SPACES News and views about Hackney’s built environment Issue17 Spring 2006 Winner of the Walter Bor Media Award 01. Wood house on Greenwood Road 02. Discovering Loddiges 03. Shoreditch Town Hall 03. Dalston Cross plans 04. Hackney Society news 04. Building watch 04. Events 01 . Contents A new three-storey house sits at the end of an early Victorian flat-fronted terrace on Greenwood Road, in the garden of what was the neighbouring pub (now flats). The site is typical of 19 th century suburban plots, where the end of one terrace meets another without much architectural expression. Today, these large back gardens have often fallen into disrepair and typically a blank brick gable wall, unadorned by windows or mouldings, concludes the London terrace typology rather abruptly. A new timber house by Lynch Architects for Tim Fowkes, a carpenter, and his wife Neima, a North American writer, now complements the Dalston Lane end of Greenwood Road. Their children have left home and this small house will be their London residence. The house is made of white bricks at the lower level and an oak-framed, oak-clad box is cantilevered above this sunken garden-walled realm whilst the large corner balcony seems to invite the visitor up to the second floor. Internally, the oak frame is exposed and treated with Danish oil. The two bedrooms at first floor level face east and the kitchen and dining room are sunk half a storey at the lower ground floor level. A tall room for entertaining overlooks the street at the second floor level and is illuminated at the rear by the evening sun shining through large, obscured white glass panels. The windows echo the grand proportions of the neighbouring buildings; oak panels open for ventilation. Lynch Architects has not mimicked the small Victorian glass panes, instead, the proportions and scale of the neighbours are acknowledged with large windows that can be sat in. Vertical oak boards pleat the façade and make this quite squat little house appear trim and slender. As the tannin leaches out of the façade it will fade to a pale silver grey colour, echoing the white bricks of the garden below and the neighbouring house. The architects hope that it looks like a ghostly relative, similar enough to appear recognisable, after a while. www.lyncharchitects.co.uk 103 Greenwood Road A Hackney Society tour of 103 Greenwood Road, conducted by Patrick Lynch, has been arranged. Full details are on the back page of Spaces.
Transcript
SPACESNews and views about Hackney’s built environment
Issue17 Spring 2006
Winner of the Walter Bor Media Award
01. Wood house on Greenwood Road02. Discovering Loddiges03. Shoreditch Town Hall03. Dalston Cross plans04. Hackney Society news04. Building watch04. Events
01 .
ContentsA new three-storey house sits at theend of an early Victorian flat-frontedterrace on Greenwood Road, in thegarden of what was the neighbouringpub (now flats). The site is typical of19th century suburban plots, wherethe end of one terrace meets anotherwithout much architectural expression.Today, these large back gardens haveoften fallen into disrepair and typicallya blank brick gable wall, unadorned
by windows or mouldings, concludesthe London terrace typology ratherabruptly. A new timber house by LynchArchitects for Tim Fowkes, a carpenter,and his wife Neima, a North Americanwriter, now complements the DalstonLane end of Greenwood Road. Theirchildren have left home and this smallhouse will be their London residence.
The house is made of white bricks atthe lower level and an oak-framed,oak-clad box is cantilevered abovethis sunken garden-walled realm whilstthe large corner balcony seems toinvite the visitor up to the second floor.Internally, the oak frame is exposedand treated with Danish oil. The twobedrooms at first floor level face east
and the kitchen and dining room aresunk half a storey at the lower groundfloor level. A tall room for entertainingoverlooks the street at the second floorlevel and is illuminated at the rear bythe evening sun shining through large,obscured white glass panels. Thewindows echo the grand proportionsof the neighbouring buildings; oakpanels open for ventilation. LynchArchitects has not mimicked the small
Victorian glass panes, instead, theproportions and scale of theneighbours are acknowledged withlarge windows that can be sat in.
Vertical oak boards pleat the façadeand make this quite squat little houseappear trim and slender. As the tanninleaches out of the façade it will fadeto a pale silver grey colour, echoingthe white bricks of the garden belowand the neighbouring house. Thearchitects hope that it looks like aghostly relative, similar enough toappear recognisable, after a while.
www.lyncharchitects.co.uk
103 Greenwood Road
A Hackney Society tourof 103 Greenwood Road,conducted by PatrickLynch, has beenarranged. Full details areon the back page ofSpaces.
02 .
I found my roots in HackneyBy Tricia O’Connell
Although in my family we had alwaysknown that our great, greatgrandfather Edward William Cooke(1811-1880) was a well-respectedmarine painter (my mother’s surnamebeing Cooke), it is only last year thatI discovered the amazing history ofhis wife (and my great, greatgrandmother) Jane Cooke neeLoddiges.
I realise that, as I am writing this forthe Hackney Society, what is newsto me, may be well known to manyof you interested in Hackney’s history.That is the famous Nursery Gardensrun by Conrad Loddiges and Sonswho were responsible for introducingmany plant species from all over theworld and growing and selling themhere in Hackney from 1787–1852.
It was the discovery of the ‘BotanicalCabinet’- the Loddiges plantcatalogue, which was beautifullyproduced with engravings byEdward’s father George Cooke andtext, plus a large number of theoriginal watercolours, supplied byJane’s father, George Loddiges, thatprompted me to find out more aboutthe nursery and its exactwhereabouts.
The reason I have had the time todelve into all this family history is that(at the age of 50!) I am lucky enoughto have gone back to art college andI am currently in the second year ofa foundation degree at Byam ShawSchool of Art.
I discovered these connections fromresearching E W Cooke for an essayand our main project was ‘a sitespecific collaborative project’. Thisprovided a great opportunity for meto discover exactly where the nurseryused to be.
My first port of call was to HackneyArchives to purchase the book‘Loddiges of Hackney, the largest
hothouse in the World’ by DavidSolman, published by the HackneySociety, at the very reasonable priceof £4.95. How lucky for me - this bookis a gem of information, and with itshelp I have traced the site of thenursery to what is now the FramptonPark Estate.
Having identified the site I wasnaturally drawn to Loddiges Road,where I found a housing estate witha ‘Loddiges House’. Adjacent to thisis a large rectangular area of grassapprox. 255 x 90 feet. Apart fromthree trees this is a flat and dull areaof grass, without a single plant andnowhere to sit.
For my project I set about designinga garden for this site, with colourful,scented flowers behind large curvedwooden benches. Winding paths, withdifferent levels, to break up the flatangular shape. I incorporated stonecarvings of seeds and pods, reflectingthe seeds that had come from all overthe world in the 1800s and this relatesto the ethnic diversity of Hackney’spopulation.
I don’t know if this could become areality, but I hope to get in touch withlocal residents and see if there mightbe some enthusiasm for a garden,which could be run by the localresidents, perhaps forming agardening club and trying to raisesome funding to achieve this.
Gardening, painting flowers, collectingfossils are all passions of mine and Ifeel strangely attached to theseancestors of mine that I have nevermet! Site of proposed garden in
Loddiges Road
Illustration by George Loddiges,Tricia O’Connell’s great, great, greatgrandfather.
Loddiges of Hackney, the largesthothouse in the World
Broadway Market stall
The Hackney Society ran a Saturday stall atBroadway Market in November and prior toChristmas. These two days proved very successfulin raising the profile of the Society, signing up newmembers and selling Hackney Society publications.It is hoped that the Society can have the occasionalstall at Broadway Market during 2006. Many thanksto the volunteers who ran the stall on both days. Tricia O’Connell’s garden project
03.
By Kevin Moore
Two high-profile planning applicationshave recently been, or are due to be,presented to the planning committee.
The Transport for London site is bordedby Dalston Lane, Kingsland Road,Roseberry Place and Forest Road. Theirapplication is for a large concretebase/bridge over the station, with amixed use development on top, toinclude retail usage at the base ofresidential tower blocks – up to 19storeys. There is also a bus interchange.
As part of its plan, Hackney Councilrecently granted itself permission todemolish the theatre – the subject ofwell-publicised opposition - and twoadjacent Georgian houses. A recentlyreleased model of their plan shows aresidential development with high
The Grade II listed Shoreditch TownHall re-opened at the end of 2004,following the first phase of a majorrefurbishment programme.
Designed by Caesar Augustus Longand opened in 1866, Shoreditch TownHall was the original vestry hall forShoreditch. William Hunt’s expansion(1898-1902) included the largerassembly hall, offices, a new towerand the caretaker’s cottage.
From its earliest days, Shoreditch TownHall was at the heart of civic life,managing all parish business. Socialneeds were also catered for, with thespacious assembly hall and a councilchamber and mayor’s parlour atground floor level. Notable eventsincluded the inquest into the last ofthe "Jack the Ripper" killings and thedeath in 1969 of Trinidadian boxingheavy-weight champion, Ulric Regis,which led to a ban on fights inHackney.
Shoreditch Town Hall Trust hasmanaged the building since 1998, witha mission to restore it for community,cultural and small business use. A 99year lease from Hackney Council hasenabled the Trust to undertake the firststage of restoration work with fundingfrom the Heritage Lottery Fund, ERDFand the Bridge House Estates Trust,as well as proceeds from the sale ofthe former annexe and former car park.Additional funds have been raised torefurbish the toilets and formerCommittee Rooms.
The work included major structuralrepairs, re-roofing, re-wiring and re-fitting of the main rooms to modernhealth and safety standards, newheating and the provision of disabledaccess to the ground floor. 1970spanelling has been removed and theentrance hall and council chamberrestored to their original glory. A self-contained restaurant unit and severalsmall office/studio spaces for rent havebeen also been established.
Shoreditch Town HallBack at the heart of the community
density blocks between 10 and 18storeys high, 50% to be affordablehousing, all to be environmentallysustainable and low energy designs. Anew library, shops, cafés and restaurantsface a public open space off DalstonLane.
Plans can be viewed at the Council’splanning department in Reading Lane.or at www.hackney.gov.uk.
Both schemes, because of their sizeand of the regeneration value to Dalston,are liable to change and members cancontinue to comment and influence theplanning process. Members can alsocontact the Hackney Society with theircomments on these schemes and theplans for Dalston Lane as a whole, whichis in a conservation area.
Since re-opening, Shoreditch TownHall has hosted a wide range ofactivities, including meetings, classes,rehearsals, seminars, private parties,weddings, launches, film and photoshoots, design fairs, conferences,charity events and corporateentertainment. Local residents,community groups and charitiesbenefit from substantially discountedhire charges and have priority use ofthe former committee rooms forcommunity events.
The restoration work means thatShoreditch Town Hall can now beremoved from English Heritage’sBuildings At Risk register.
For more information, please contact:Sheila Benjamin, chief executive
Wednesday, 26 April, 6.30pmA special guided tour of this newhouse, featured in this issue ofSpaces, by architect Patrick Lynch,of Lynch Architects. As this is a smallhouse, the numbers are limited to 10people. Please call the Society toreserve a place.
Geffrye Museum
Sunday 7th May, 3.30pmA special guided tour for HackneySociety members. Ends at 4.45pm.Geffrye Museum, 136 KingslandRoad, Shoreditch, E2. Meet in theentrance lobby.
Shakespeare’s Shoreditch walk
Monday 5 June, 7pmBack by popular demand, KevinMoore’s walk around historicShoreditch. Meet at the centre ofHoxton Square, in the garden.
A tour of Hackney Town Hall
Monday 12 June, 6pmAn architectural tour of HackneyTown Hall conducted by the speakerof Hackney Council. Hackney TownHall, Mare Street, E8. Meet in thelobby.
All events are free to Hackney Societymembers and £5 for non-members.The Greenwood Road event mustbe reserved by calling the Societyon 020 7254 0212 or [email protected]. Bookingfor the other events is also advisable.
04 .
SPACES is published by theHackney Society. Views expressedin the articles are not necessarilythose of the Society.
Edited by: Rossana Tich
Contributors: Patrick Lynch, TriciaO’Connell, Sheila Benjamin, KevinMoore, Rossana Tich.
Design and layout:www.liquidworks.net
The Hackney SocietyStudio B12, 3 Bradbury StreetLondon, N16 8JN
The Hackney Society is a RegisteredCharity (No 107459)
Hackney Society AGMThe Society’s AGM was held onMonday 26 September 2005 in themayor’s chamber at Shoreditch TownHall.
Six committee members were electedincluding Christina Sosanya as chairof the management committee. No-one stood as treasurer and Tony Gilletthas since agreed to continue in therole until a replacement is found.
After the meeting, Sheila Benjamin,the chief executive of the ShoreditchTown Hall Trust, gave members aguided tour of the building which isfeatured in this edition of Spaces.
VolunteersThe Hackney Society needs moremembers to volunteer their services!If you are interested in being co-optedonto the management committee orwould like to help get Hackney Societypublications into book shops, can helpwith our database, or help organiseevents please contact the office. Theplanning group is also looking for newmembers.
The Conservation Area AdvisoryCommittees (CAACs) in Hackneywould also welcome new members.This is a chance to view and commenton planning applications in the variousconservation areas, usually meetingonce a month. The Hackney Societyhas details on the local CAAC groupsand contacts.
The New Lansdowne Club at 195 MareStreet was built in 1715 and is in theCentral and South HackneyConservation Area. The local CAACgroup has raised its concerns with theCouncil regarding the condition of thisGrade II* listed building that is onEnglish Heritage’s Buildings at Riskregister. The building was sold lastyear and permission has been grantedfor a Vietnamese cultural centre in themain building - with full restoration
work - with a new build at the back.Work was due to commence inAugust 2005 but according to theplanning department, the Section 106agreement is still being negotiated.
The Central and South HackneyCAAC’s area borders on to theRegent’s Canal and the group hasbeen concerned about some of theplanning applications in neighbouring
Tower Hamlets, the other side of thecanal (where Mare Street becomesCambridge Heath Road), which is notin a conservation area. A row of mid-Victorian shops (featured in the bookImages of London – Bethnal Green –by Gary Haines, published by TempusPublishing) was recently demolishedto make way for a new cash and carry,shops and flats. Local residents inthe Broadway Market/St Andrew’sRoad area have also voiced their
concern over the planning applicationfor development of the EmpressCoach Works site in CorbridgeCrescent, E2. The plan is to demolishthe last remaining Crescent Cottages- two bow-fronted late Georgianhouses (circa 1820) – that overlookthe canal and build a part 9 and part14-storey development with 163residential units and commercialspace on the site.
