Victoria Market Hall

Originally built in 1909, the space previously housed an Edwardian shopping arcade, a restaurant, and then a nightclub. Despite being of architectural interest, with a listed façade, the building lay vacant until Market Halls acquired it and proposed to bring it back into public use.

The design of the new scheme draws inspiration from the earlier Edwardian arcade. Alterations to the external façade were minimal, enhancing the exterior but protecting the building’s heritage. Behind the façade, shop fronts are reinstated.

The building has returned to its former glory. The existing structure — which utilises masonry vertical elements, steel frame supports and filler joist floors of concrete encased steels — had several defects, so remedial works along with local structural alterations were proposed. These included installations of a new platform lift and dumb waiter, suspended floor, and the conversion of the original roof into a new rooftop terrace.

The result is a space for Westminster that reinvigorates an existing building and delivers a high-quality sustainable new destination for its people.