Briefing Document by Charlie Harris

Brewed IN

LONDON A FUTURE FOR SMITHFIELD’S FISH MARKET, RED HOUSE AND ENGINE HOUSE

BRIEFING DOCUMENT CHARLIE HARRIS

“They source their lunch from that lovely chap just down the road, who keeps only seven pigs and knows them all by name, and holds them dear, until the time comes to give them an aromatherapy massage, crank up the Vivaldi and slaughter them under general anesthetic. They eat whatever the season is bountiful enough to supply. They till their own land by hand, and don’t even know where the nearest supermarket is. You meanwhile have a proper job, and kids to look after, and the bills to pay, and god knows money’s too tight to mention. Who the hell are they to lecture you?” Jay Rayner “A Greedy Man In A Hungry World” 2014

CONTENTS

OVERVIEW

THEME VISION SITE PREVIOUS WORK AMBITION PRECEDENT Unit theme

Thoughts on food security

Smithfield overview, future, proposals and general arrangement

Summarry of projects One and Two

Overview of proposal objectives

Critical previous work

ROOM BOOK REFLECTION Initial program

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Source: Apple Maps

THEME

THE FOOD PRESERVATION SOCIETY

“Food is an intrinsic and defining element of a city’s identity. Its smells, textures and tastes manifest a city’s cultural heritage, define its social habits and bring joviality to its streets.” CJ Lim Food City

Working in and around London’s Smithfield Market, the unit’s theme is focused on the connections between the legacy of food and the City, investigating “Intangible Cultural Heritage” and the relationship between the somewhat secretive market and its City context. Attempting to find a viable use for the now dis-used market buildings has shaped this project, with a respect for Horace Jones’s buildings and the colliding worlds of City glamour and the functionality of a working meat market.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The disconnection between consumer and producer is more pronounced than ever before, both physiologically and ideologically.â&#x20AC;? CJ Lim Food City

VISION

INTRODUCTION

VISION AND OUTLINE OF OBJECTIVES

“Current proposals for Smithfield Farringdon are being put forward in a piecemeal way, and many recent developments which have involved the construction of new buildings have been to the detriment of the area.” “Regeneration should be heritage led - its heritage is what makes it special and unique.” Smithfield Farringdon Farrels Survey 2007

Smithfield is one of the oldest remaining markets in Europe, the Victorian Market Annex has fallen into disrepair and there are questions over the future of the Meat and Poultry markets. In a cultural context when we find ourselves further separated than ever from our means of production and with a shortage of developable land, we simply cannot ignore the disused legacy of the building. Discussions on site with conservation architect Gary Butler and Paddy Pugh (Director of English Heritage’s London Team) revealed a major issue with the proposed restoration: put simply, much of the damaged fabric is beyond economic repair. This raises the question:

“How can new interventions be made and built fabric restored, using modern design and fabrication methods, without detracting from the original building and in doing so how can we reveal what is authentic in the built fabric and expose the means of production and procurement?” In the abstract, the project intentions are to inject both the glamour of The City and the functionality of production into the disused buildings, through providing a hybrid scheme of brewing, boutique hotel and luxury fine dining. Colliding these two worlds is not just a response to the prevailing milieux, but a realistic means of providing the finance required to support extensive restoration and a connection between the otherwise divorced worlds of production and consumption.

INTRODUCTION

A NEW DEFINITION FOR WEALTH

“As he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months.” JG Ballard “High Rise - Critical Mass” 1975

1 BN STARVING

9.7 BN

1BN OBESE Global Population by 2050

Changing social and economic times are creating a new definition for wealth; put simply, we must address providing green space, clean air and food security over other secondary needs in order to function in modern society. This opens up a context where positive design outweighs fiscal cost in order to address these more serious problems. The dish below is an investigation into the new wealth, chicken liver represents clean air, pea shoots green space and bread food security. The dish also highlights the importance of considering offal as a viable foodstuff.

Chicken Liver Invention of author

INTRODUCTION

WASTAGE + CONSERVATION

“It’s not just about how we produce the food we eat; its about how much of that food we’re consuming - or not consuming as the case may be.” Jay Rayner “A Greedy Man In A Hungry World” 2014

throw away from plate

Recycled

45%

21%

34%

12%

spoilage

preparation

nd it a fru bles ly a all ge of get lar ve ted, etic sm s as vw or co son f rea

FOOD WASTE SOURCES

1/2

ste wa been s i e th of d hav n e l t u ea co

London is a global Megacity, consuming and wasting huge amounts of resources at all scales. These waste resources are hugely relevant as a part of our global sustainability challenge and requires sensitive conservation and education. A large amount of the problem comes from a lack of understanding of how best to use this waste and a decline in our understanding of provenance. In a city where over 80% of buildings are â&#x20AC;&#x153;oldâ&#x20AC;? and there are huge numbers of empty new-builds, sustainable re-use is essential, especially given the disused food legacy being dealt with.

81 %

r ve so d ing ol ild rs bu yea of 20

36% of new builds in Islington are

empty

INTRODUCTION

WHY WORK WITH WASTE [BUILDINGS]?

Abandoned General Market, seen from West Smithfield Charlie Harris

“The greenest building is one that is already built...” Carl Elefante National Trust for Historic Preservation

There are obvious sustainable benefits to working with existing buildings in terms of significantly less material being wasted in demolition and less raw materials required in construction. We have a responsibility to work with existing buildings, despite the inherent challenges of making them appropriate to new uses, otherwise their cultural identity may be lost forever. Looking at these buildings with an unbiased eye can allow us to assess their Intangible Cultural Heritage and work to promote the legacy of food in the area, which, without sensitive handling could be lost completely.

“There is a huge amount of waste generated by the construction and demolition of buildings. Something like 24% of all waste is generated by demolition and construction. It is simply better in sustainability terms to reuse and recycle old buildings than to demolish them and build new ones” The Role of Historic Buildings in Urban Regeneration ODPM: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee (2004)

“For all their mess, noise and nuisance, markets bring something vital to a city: an awareness of what it takes to sustain life.” They are “heterotopias”: places that embrace every aspect of human existence simultaneously...” Carolyn Steel “Hungry City”

PRELIMINARY WORK

PROJECT ONE

A SUSTAINABLE KIOSK

Globally 40% of misshapen fruit and vegetables are wasted. In the UK this amounts to 90000 tons of landfill waste per annum. The kiosk fed into the fruit and vegetable supply chain, selling damaged and deformed vegetables that would otherwise have been wasted.

40%

90,000 Tonnes

“Consumers don’t want ugly fruit, because [they] are not familiar with it.” Moritz Gluck UglyFruits.de The architecture is formed by the fruit boxes of the wares sold. One day it may be flowing out onto the street and the next only a few small crates.

PROJECT TWO

A NEW LONDON PUB

Working in Smithfield’s disused Engine House, the challenge was to create a new typology: a New London Pub, worthy of ICH status. In doing so, both the heritage of the site and Fuller’s (London’s oldest brewers) were engaged with, to create a building that was a celebration of its locality and the heritage of brewing in London. Shared moments between customers and traditional dray horses united customers and systems of supply.

The pub leaves an open question:

“Working with the legacy of food and brewing, how can the rest of the Fuller’s scheme be completed in the adjacent Annex buildings, whilst continuing to satisfy the needs of the customers, brewers and deal with provenance within the built fabric?” As such, the adjacent Annex complex (including Fish Market and Red House) are proposed as a headquarters for Fuller’s, offering the rest of their scheme and completing the story of horse-drawn distribution and brewing started in Project 2. These buildings and their locality will be evaluated in the next chapter.

Red House

“Animals may no longer walk the streets of Smithfield, but their memory lingers in its physical fabric.” Carolyn Steel “Hungry City”

SITE & CONTEXT

SMITHFIELD

REINFORCING PLACE

4 8

6 5 1. Barbican 2. New Change 3. St Pauls 4. Old Bailey 5. Hatton Garden 6. Farringdon Station and Crossrail entrance 7.Crossrail entrance 8. Charterhouse Square

hectares - Old Billingsgate Market hectares - Borough Market hectares - Covent Garden

hectares - Smithfield Market

3 4

Grid

1. Central Market (East and West) 2. Rotunda 3. Poultry Market 4. General Market 5. Fish Market (SITE) 6. Holborn Viaduct

Permeability

Figure Ground

MARKET

PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

Smithfield meat market during opening hours

Listed Poultry Market Roof

Poultry market looking towards General market

Meat Market

Disused General Market

All images are authors own unless otherwise referenced

SMITHFIELD

A MEAT MARKET

Restaurants Shops Domestic

Procurement

Processing

Charlie Harris

1000 years of markets on the site

140 years in its current state 29 Traders

Smithfield is Europe’s largest licensed meat market. Market traders purchase carcasses, cut them on-site, package and re-sell the meat to trade and domestic customers. Historically, livestock had been brought to Smithfield, slaughtered and processed there, providing a forced association between the customer and means of production. Today, despite it’s location, Smithfield fails to benefit sufficiently from its provenance, as the restrictive and largely nocturnal opening hours prevent most domestic customers from being able to access it.

FUTURE OF SMITHFIELD

A MARKET OUT-DATED?

Clerkenwell green

Stills from Project One - Smithfield on Film [see QR code opposite for more information]

Smithfield

Rotunda

It is doubtful that the market will survive in its current capacity. The original General Market and Annex have already closed and are due for [heated] re-development. Once Farringdon Crossrail is completed the pressure to re-locate the traders will be even greater.

1400

Paternoster square

0600

In terms of capacity utilisation, having such a large scheme closed during the working day, in central London, is open to a great deal of scrutiny.

Tate Modern

St. Pauls

Smithfield is at odds with its surroundings. It is in an area dominated by accountants, bankers and barristers. Operating a wholesale meat processing market within such a context is somewhat archaic, a concept born from when there was a far greater connection between the city and its food supply.

MARKET TRADERS

CITY WORKERS

HAULAGE Other than a few bleary-eye clubbers, few people have any idea about the nocturnal world inside Smithfield Market.

COMMUTERS “We’re not interested in the move... We just have to change with the times.” Trader

The new Farringdon Crossrail link when completed will have 140 trains per hour and connection to three airports within an hour. It can be seen as London’s check-in-lounge.

03 1868 1873 1888 1900

SMITHFIELD

HERITAGE

Central (Meat) Market (East and West) Poultry Market (later destroyed and re-built) General Market Fish Market

No longer listed

Diagram of key listed buildings in the surrounding area. Notably, the site is no longer listed. Data adapted from Farrell Smithfield Farringdon report

Oldest building in conservation area

900 YEARS St Bartholemew The Great Church

Listed Buildings

Pre-Victorian Buildings

Major Victorian buildings and infrastructure projects

Major Victorian buildings and projects

SMITHFIELD

DISUSED LEGACY

The existing Smithfield Market buildings have been neglected and have fallen into disrepair. Since their closure, plant and rain damage have rendered many parts beyond economic repair, with internal conditions revealing that damage is more than just aesthetic.

Warren McFadden Gary Butler explaining the issues of repair vs replacement

Although many broken masonry parts have been painstakingly gathered, it is quite simply not feasible to restore them all with the original elements and in many cases it is only economically viable to replace them.

UrbEx

Underground tunnels

Iron Mountain 2

Warren McFadden

1 Fish Market Interior

UrbEx Iron Mountain

UrbEx Train Lines below light well

SMITHFIELD

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS

Montage of proposed developments on the Annex and Iron Mountain buildings

Both the General Market and Market Annex are currently closed and in need of major refurbishment. Proposals from both KPF and McAslan and Partners have been submitted, both of which have become hugely politicised and ultimately rejected, with a potential proposal for re-locating the Museum of London there in discussion. SAVE Britain’s Heritage have released an alternative proposal for reinstating the market to its original use, although funding and financial viability are unclear. The conflicting message between these applications is financial. In order to be financially viable in the city centre, density is required. This runs the risk of destroying much, if not all of the existing building, with little respect for the legacy of food in the area. In line with the “New Wealth”, cost of development is a secondary concern, allowing new proposals (such as SAVE’s) scheme to be considered for their sustainable and cultural benefits rather than cost. The question of who will pay for such a scheme, however, is still open.

Montage of McAslan proposal for re-use of part of the fish market (Annex)

SMITHFIELD: MARKET ANNEX SITE OVERVIEW

SMITHFIELD STREET

The Market Annex was completed in the 1880’s and forms the final phase of Horace Jones’ market complex, instigated after the closure of the “Open Cattle Market” in 1855. The Market Annex is currently derelict. It was a fish market and then became stores and administrative offices for the General Market and Meat Markets. Under the initial phases of the markets re-development the Annex has been stripped out at ground floor level, with offices left more or less unchanged on the first floor. It is a triangular (two storey) site, contained within three top-lit arcades. The scheme will occupy the Annex complex (including Fish Market and Red House), with a master-plan including parts of the basement and General Market.

SITE

1855

Open Cattle Market closed

1880â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Market opens

2005

closed, pending demolition

2007

public enquiry

2012

McAslan scheme submitted

2015

Harris proposals submitted

Market Annex internal montage

SMITHFIELD: MARKET ANNEX EXTERIOR CONDITIONS

Damage to the exterior of the annex is largely cosmetic and non-structural. The Red House is in a much worse condition and currently completely scaffold with a temporary roof.

1 2 1 Warren McFadden Main Entrance: masonry is damaged and dirty

1;1250

Damaged brickwork and mortar

West Smithfield canopy

Structural and weather protection on Red House

Windows removed and hoardings installed

All images are authors own unless otherwise referenced

SMITHFIELD: MARKET ANNEX INTERIOR CONDITIONS

Major Structural reinforcement

Holes let in rainwater

Interior derelict and partially gutted

Temporary repairs to roof

Major Structural reinforcement

All images are authors own unless otherwise referenced

SMITHFIELD SITE SECTION

Red House

New London Pub [Project Two]

1950’s store

Fish Market (Annex)

SITE

1 4

1. City of London coat of arms 2.Blind and bricked-up openings 3. Portland Stone dressings 4. Double-hung sash dormer windows 5. Classical column detailing 6. Panel mouldings

The Horace Jones designed facades of the Annex are classically detailed and french in style.

Information adapted from McAlsan site survey

1:500

SMITHFIELD SITE SECTION

Fish Market (Annex building)

Basement

Thameslink

Red House

1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s store of no architectural merit to be demolished

New London Pub

Porosity

Permeability

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

SITE SURVEY

SITE PLAN + STRUCTURE

Viable Existing Structure

West Smithfield

Sn ow ll Hi Underground Railway Columns

No Specific Scale: Refer to scale bar

Beams (Overhead)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Can old form retain its significance when the activities of the city itself have changed radically? Can a modern architectural form be successfully woven into an older architectural fabric?â&#x20AC;? Giancarlo de Carlo Interview with Benedict Zucchi 1992

AMBITION

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

Fuller’s is London’s oldest remaining traditional family brewer. Providing a new headquarters for them will allow questions to be asked of its surroundings, building upon the legacy of food in the area. Fulfilling all the functions across the Fuller’s company, the program will include horsedrawn distribution hub, offices, luxury dining and accommodation, with the aim of re-connecting customers to the means of production. Fuller’s company ethos is routed within London’s intangible cultural heritage. As a PLC, they have the finance to fund a large-scale flagship scheme and can afford to support quality design, so will focus of provenance and heritage within the Annex. A master-plan will include the General Market as an additional brewery and office space. Through inserting new program into existing built fabric, the scheme will challenge what is authentic within the building and promote legibility. Breaking from the bounds of the existing volume will require new carefully considered structure material choice. Bringing the public into the scheme will allow issues of provenance to be dealt with, making a celebration of the production and distribution of food and beverages. As such, programming and spatial adjacencies should promote moments of haptic interaction between customers and the processes taking place within the scheme.

AMBITION

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

The challenge of working with an existing building is that one cannot work in the abstract. Every discrete alteration will present its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. This is why a set of rules and hierarchies need to be established, to refer back to when making a decision on how to handle the historic fabric. It is essential to respect the existing fabric and site conditions in any new interventions. A hybrid approach to sustainability, which preserves what is authentic is essential, allowing the annex building to be revealed, whilst performing to the specific standards required of its new inhabitants.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;For cultural and sustainable ends, the existing buildings will be at the heart of their own regeneration; the architectural fabric of the site remains its single most important asset..â&#x20AC;? 6a Architects Offley Works, London

REVEALING THE AUTHENTIC

Smithfield Street Elevation

Severely damaged elements removed

Removal of detractors

INHABITANTS

WORKER AND CUSTOMER PROFILES + OCCUPANCIES

Peak restaurant customers

120

Average age of customers

Maximum workers

20-35

Average time spent

2 HOURS

The scheme is a collision between the opposing worlds of luxury fine dining and the functionality of an operating brewery and distribution hub. This is no accident and through providing interactions between customers and producers a greater understanding of the food and beverages being produced and served.

CITY WORKERS

Most visitors to the scheme and residents of the hotel are likely to be City workers, including barristers from the nearby legal district, Jewellers from Hatton Garden and Bankers from The City. Encouraging these customers is important, as their high spending can help support the scheme.

SMITHFIELD WORKERS

Market traders may visit the scheme for breakfast, after a long nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. It is essential the that scheme is welcoming to these customers too, to avoid alienating them from the building that was once their home.

ISLINGTON RESIDENTS

The site sits on the border of Islington, which will provide customers during the weekends as well as the week. Islington has a more culturally diverse demographic than the City (which has very few actual residents).

CUSTOMER OCCUPANCIES

WORKER OCCUPANCIES

Hotel

12:00

06:00

Day Evening

Stables

07:00

Offices

Restuarant

Restaurant

Weekday closing

Brewery

24:00

Bottling+ Distribution

FULLERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

LONDON BORN AND BREWED

380 tied pubs 215,000 barrels of beer produced per annum 15 beers and ciders

“The [Griffin] Brewery is a special place. Not just to us, but to anyone who has ever enjoyed a pint of Pride. It’s where the magic happens, where the malt meets the hops. A place that stands proudly as London’s last remaining family brewery.” Fuller’s Marketing

Fuller’s is London’s oldest remaining family brewer. Despite their large portfolio of premises, each pub and hotel is unique to its context and heritage, they are exhibitions of their locality. The increasing popularity of craft ales, such as “London Pride” and “London Porter” has created a requirement for them to expand. Smithfield will provide a new headquarters for them, ingrained within the context of the disused market and the heritage of brewing and hospitality.

BREWING

MILLING

MASH CONVERSION

LAUTERING

BOILING

WORT SEPARATION

FERMENTING

FILTRATION AND CELLARING

BOTTLING

STABLES

A HOUSE FOR A HORSE

“This is a place where horse lovers can live and feel their relationship with the animal” RCR Architectos Mas Salva

Fullers

Horses and beer have been connected throughout history. Traditional transportation by dray horse will take place, delivering cask ales within the City and Islington area (below). It is essential to draw continuous connections between horses and visitors, reinforcing provenance. Customers will interact with horses whilst they are in their stables, being shod, prepared and loaded, creating separate haptic moments throughout.

BEYOND THE CITY

THE GLOBAL REACH OF THE SITE AND BRAND

140 1.5 MILLION Trains per hour at Farringdon

more people within 1 1/2 hours

countries

600

TESCO stores

168

London Pubs

within 2 miles of the site

386

Pubs + Hotels Distribution

46 K

London Pride followers

Company

206

Tennanted inns

180

managed pubs and hotels

622

bedrooms

“We will create and operate the most stylish pubs and hotels whilst brewing Britain’s most coveted premium brands for discerning customers both at home and abroad.” Fullers Mission Statement

CONSERVATION

DEALING WITH WASTE RESOURCES

Montage of a scheme inserted into the existing thoroughfares of the Annex

Replacement

Re te nt io

CONSERVATION

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In an area of this diversity, heritage and character, the process of intensification must be carefully managed and a conservation led approach adopted.â&#x20AC;? The London Plan

THE LONGEVITY OF MATERIALS

E AV E G RA

The history of Smithfield transcends most modern construction. Respecting the inherent qualities of materials, through clear definition between temporary and permanent architectural elements is essential.

H SE U O FE LI N A SP

M RA CE IC LE TI R E LV VA

EXT WAL LPAP ER

TO IA

IAN PPL

D RA

STO NES CA RP

PAIN T

GRA NITE FLAG

RA CT OR

FAN

ETS CABIN

LO C

CES

ER NA L

METAL LOUVER

IN T

NA CHE KIT

LIFECYCLE

IC BR FA

TIC IND BL PLAS

E UV LO

CO NC RE TE

FR A

ST CA

TH BA

G TIN SKIR

RDS BOA

100

F ITH

D IEL

LUXURY AND FUNCTIONALITY

HARMONISING PRODUCTION AND USE

“One of the corrupting things about the contemporary idea of luxury gastronomy is that it can erode the sense of place. At times it is as guilty of this as fast food restaurants and chain hotels.” John Lancaster “Mugaritz”

In line with the Victorian grandeur and functionality of Horace Jones’s market buildings, the scheme provides a collision between the worlds of luxury fine dining and boutique hotel and working brewery and open kitchen. This is in many ways in line with its original use, in times when city residents were far more connected to the means of production and supply of their food and beverages. As such, there is a duty to expose the inner workings of the scheme to all visitors. The open kitchen or “chef’s table” achieves just this and offers a degree of openness and transparency not usually afforded to the production of food bringing together the customer face-to-face with the story of their food.

Integrated fine dining

“Thus, urban environments can be considered a fascinating phenomenon of ongoing dispute between different groups, a hub of conflictive economic and cultural exchanges in a highly artificialised and constructed environment.” Christina Díaz and Efrén García Grinda “Third Natures” AD Magazine 2013

PROGRAMMING

PROGRAM

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT + HIERARCHIES ANNEX HOTEL BEDROOMS

Third Floor

BEDROOMS

Second Floor

First Floor

New Program

Existing Building

DINING

OFFICES

BEDROOMS

KITCHEN + DINING

STABLES

CART HOUSE

BREWING + BOTTLING

Ground Floor

Basement

GRAND DINING ROOM £££££ Price

07:00 Opening Times

24:00

20 Covers per service

Duration of stay

RESTAURANT £££££ Price

07:00 Opening Times

24:00

45 covers per service

Duration of stay

OPEN KITCHEN £££££ Price

07:00 Opening Times

24:00

100 covers per service

Duration of stay

In order to provide a dining experience which is not off-putting to residents or locals, a range of dining options will be provided, from casual dining in the open kitchen at ground level, to a Grand Dining room on the first and second floors, providing luxury gastronomy to satisfy even the most discerning of city customers.

ADJACENCIES

SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Groom Tack Room

Feed

Six Stables

Farriers

Staff Offices Staff Showers Staff Lockers Loading Garden

Pub

Offices

Pub

Stores

Bedrooms Open Kitchen

Reception

Restaurant

Housekeeping

WCs

Stables (each) 16m2 Stables (total) 100m2

Staff Offices 20-30m2

Groom Residence 85m2 Farriers

A masterplan on the next page shows how the rest of the brewing program fits into the adjacent General Market building and abuts against the main scheme.

17-20m2 Main Pub 16m2 Rooms (each) 30m2 Tack Room Loading Garden 130m2 17-20m2 Housekeeping 15-20m2 Feed Store 2 Brewers Stores 15-20m 80 Laundry 120m2 10m2

EQUESTRIAN

PUB

ROOMS

Open Kitchen 50m2 Kitchen Stores 20-40m2

Staff Showers 10-15m2 Staff Offices 20-30m2 Lockers

Restaurant WCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 17-20m2

DINING

10-15m2 70m2

ANCILLARY

MASTERPLAN

SITE INTEGRATION

Pub

Incorporating the General Market as a large-scale brewery helps to further protect the legacy of food in the area. A pedestrian-prioritised streetscape sits between these two buildings, reducing the dominance of the car, adding to the public realm in the area.

Brewing Hospitality

Public Priority Streets

Market Buildings

PRECEDENT

NEW INTO OLD

Expression of abutment between new and old San Telmo San Sebastian

De Kas restaurant in Amsterdam is situated inside a disused greenhouse. Instead of demolishing it, the chefs decided to reinstate the essence of fresh produce, serving only what is available that day. As such there is no menu, customers often have no idea as to what they will be served, dishes are created in response to the prevailing conditions of seasonality and supply.

San Telmo in San Sebastian is a new art gallery, incorporating a refurbished church. The photograph opposite shows the persistence of considering abutments down to the smallest details.

De kas restaurant main dining room dekas.nl

De kas restaurant greenhouses dekas.nl

All images are authors own unless otherwise referenced

PRECEDENT

ABUTMENTS

Farringdon Amazon Building

A common theme across all these buildings is legibility; that is to say that all new interventions should be legible as such, there should be no pastiche architecture. This allows the original fabric to be read from new interventions.

New openings: Central St Martins

New into old: St Pancras

Gimnasio Metropolitan, Bilbao

All images are authors own unless otherwise referenced

PRECEDENT

PUBLIC SPACES

Public Space outside San Telmo Art Gallery, San Sebastian

San Telmo art gallery in San Sebastian has incorporated an open paved square in front of it. Other than a climbing frame on one end, it is completely open all day and provides a space for congregation and play. It fails to provide great intrigue, but its mere location results in it being a popular congregation space. Internally a (semi-private) cloisters courtyard provides a secluded contemplation space.

New Market Square in Nottingham is an open space in front of The Exchange building. Hard landscaping provides spaces for sitting and play on the peripheries, whilst leaving the main central space open and available for use as an event space.

Tim Garratt San Telmo internal courtyard

New Market Square

All images are authors own unless otherwise referenced

PRECEDENT

DRAMATIC DAYLIGHT

Church of Miribilla, Bilbao

The Church of Miribilla in Bilbao employs dramatic lighting to draw visitors through the building. The spectacle this creates is much more significant when under direct sunlight, so may not be so appropriate for the UK. The overhead lighting however is very successful in the downstairs spaces (right).

Re-using existing openings, with deep, splayed dramatises the staircase in San Telmo, creating a sense of intrigue.

Church of Miribilla, Bilbao

San Telmo, San Sebastian

All images are authors own unless otherwise referenced

REFLECTION

The Unit themes have been strong in the project, promoting the interrogation of what is authentic within historic buildings. Last the Unit worked under the title of “Hybrids + Highstreets”, using Stephen Holl’s “This is Hybrid” as a core text. Promoting hybrid, mixed use design has been hugely important to provenance, without which, production and use would continue to exist in isolation of one-another. Reading of place has always been central to the development of the project, with De Carlo’s question on how to deal with existing fabric being critical. Interrogating architecture with food seemed appropriate given the context. This began with a catering college, delivering ideals of sustainable gastronomy to professionals and disseminating it to domestic cooks. Understanding the importance of provenance delivered in this way the project took on a new angle, drawing on the New London Pub and its function of bringing together customer and supplier. Taking on Fuller’s as a client allows the onerous task of restoration and preservation to take place, with sufficient financial backing to support it. The importance of handling the General Market and Annex carefully is immense, given that they are the first of the Smithfield buildings to stand empty setting a precedent for future work. If the remaining market buildings do eventually face closure, then it is hoped that the precedent set with the General Market and Annex will promote development and investment from similar firms to Fuller’s, putting quality design, heritage and further public realm creation above the “bottom line”. Had the KPF scheme been granted permission, then the destruction 500 years of Smithfield’s heritage would have begun, putting the rest of the area at risk from similarly radical development. Perhaps the relocation of The London Museum is the answer to finding a viable use for Smithfield. Either way, with increasing pressure from developers to close and relocate the Central and Poultry markets pending the opening of Crossrail Farringdon, a solution which provides appropriate use and respects the heritage of the area must be found.

“With architecture so often famed as a technocratic discipline, it is perhaps not surprising that responses to the perceived dangers revolve around technical fixes. This is an approach that holds out the promise of escape, while leaving the underlying conditions untouched.” Jon Goodbun, Jeremy Till and Deljana Lossifova “Scarcity” AD Vol. 218

REFERENCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY + APPENDICES

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/18/world-population-new-study-11bn-2100 (06/01/2015) http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/overview-waste-hospitality-and-food-service-sector (07/01/2015) http://www.foodawarecic.org.uk/stats-2/ (13-01-15) http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/about-food-waste-1 (13/01/15) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24603008 (16/01/15) http://www.ted.com/talks/carolyn_steel_how_food_shapes_our_cities?language=en (16/01/2015) http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/10/features/staying-creative-ferran-adrià (17/01/15) http://hackingbullipedia.org/bullipedia3-2 (17/01/15) “Quay” – Peter Gilmore “Mugartiz” – Andoni Aduriz “Notes” – Rene Redzepi “Historic Heston” – Heston Blumenthal “Cook it Raw” – “Larousse Gastronomique” “Food City” – CJ Lim “A Greedy Man in a Hungry World” - Jay Rayner “Hungry City” – Carolyn Steel “Urban Food Revolution” – Peter Ladner “Scarcity” – AD Vol. 218 “System City” – AD Vol. 224 McAslan 2012 Smithfield Proposal Farringdon East Over development Proposal British Horse Society guide to keeping horses Farrels Smithfield Farringdon survey Thanks to: Warren McFadden, Unit Head Robert Edwards at Robert Edwards Meats Tony and Sarah Lethbridge at The Kings Arms Hotel