The old City Hall's glass exterior to be removed. Credit: gettyimages
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A property group has proposed plans to revamp London’s old City Hall building. The refurbishment includes removing its glass exterior and creating balconies.
A concept image of the renovated City Hall depicts the elimination of the building’s outer glass shell, revealing its various levels and forming multiple balconies.
Kuwaiti-owned St Martins Property Investments, the building’s private landlord, says its plan will “revitalise” the Mayor of London’s former headquarters by “transforming the building into a forward looking, mixed-use destination”. He says the plan also proposes the use of the ground floor as a café and leisure area.
The old City Hall has been unoccupied for the last two years since being vacated by the Greater London Authority (GLA) in 2021.
GLA paid £11.1m a year for the using of the building in 2020. The cost contained rent, service charges and rates.
This was due to rise to £12.6m a year after Christmas 2021.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in 2021 that it would “save £55 million over five years, which would help us to protect and invest in the things that matter most to Londoners, as well as supporting the regeneration of the Royal Docks.”
The designer of the building, Sir Norman Foster has said the existing structure of the glass exterior was to imply transparency in political decision-making.
However, the former mayor Ken Livingstone has described the building as a ‘glass testicle’. And Boris Johnson has depicted as ‘glass gonad’.
At this stage, the formal plans have not yet been handed into Southwark Council.
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HeadlineOld City Hall exterior to be reconstructed under ‘revitalisation’ plan
Short HeadlineLondon's old City Hall gets revamped
StandfirstMayor of London's former headquarters in Southwark is to be refurbished by its private landlord.
A property group has proposed plans to revamp London’s old City Hall building. The refurbishment includes removing its glass exterior and creating balconies.
A concept image of the renovated City Hall depicts the elimination of the building’s outer glass shell, revealing its various levels and forming multiple balconies.
Kuwaiti-owned St Martins Property Investments, the building’s private landlord, says its plan will “revitalise” the Mayor of London’s former headquarters by “transforming the building into a forward looking, mixed-use destination”. He says the plan also proposes the use of the ground floor as a café and leisure area.
The old City Hall has been unoccupied for the last two years since being vacated by the Greater London Authority (GLA) in 2021.
GLA paid £11.1m a year for the using of the building in 2020. The cost contained rent, service charges and rates.
This was due to rise to £12.6m a year after Christmas 2021.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in 2021 that it would “save £55 million over five years, which would help us to protect and invest in the things that matter most to Londoners, as well as supporting the regeneration of the Royal Docks.”
The designer of the building, Sir Norman Foster has said the existing structure of the glass exterior was to imply transparency in political decision-making.
However, the former mayor Ken Livingstone has described the building as a ‘glass testicle’. And Boris Johnson has depicted as ‘glass gonad’.
At this stage, the formal plans have not yet been handed into Southwark Council.
