Tag: green building

How meat and water designed part of London: the drovers’ route from Islington to Smithfield, a new walk from London Open City

Last week I led a walk exploring the drovers’ route from the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington to Smithfield Market. This took in the New River, the history of Sadler’s Wells, Spa Green and especially the impact of the movement of meat and water on the design and development of the route along St John’s Street to Smithfield.

I will be leading this walk again on Saturday 26th September at 2pm, starting at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Find out more and book at Open City
The Central Market, likely now to be turned into a new Museum of London

The only retail butcher in Smithfield

One of four domes at the corner of the main meat market

A decoration across the entrance to the Smithfield Tavern

A boar insignia above a shop

The meeting point of St John's Street and Cowcross Street, a market meeting the drovers' route

One of three cold stores in the market

One of three cold stores in the market

 

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Golden Lane Leisure Centre wraps come off a week before new book published on its architects

Just a week before English Heritage, RIBA and the Twentieth Century Society publish a new book by Elain Harwood on the architects of Golden Lane Estate, the scaffolding has been removed from the leisure centre at the heart of the estate. With another three months to go before the restoration is complete, the work to date has removed the frosted glass windows and clumsy flood lighting to create a clean, elegant facade. This is a great time to look at it. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon – Elain Harwood

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Photovoltaic facade

The Heron Tower is now complete with a wall of photovoltaic cells along the south-facing facade. During building, it appeared to be incredibly ugly but now that it is complete – and particularly from this view – it is surprisingly wonderful.