26 PROJECT REPORT: HERITAGE & CONSERVATION
The key objective when considering the design goals was maintaining a ‘light touch’ approach, ensuring the integrity of the buildings
theatre, comedy, dance, and spoken word – and events such as exhibitions, training, and education. A charity (Woolwich Creative District Trust) was set up to run the site, with the purpose of offering “hope and opportunity by enabling people to realise their creative potential.” Current resident arts groups include the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), dance company Protein, the ethnically diverse Chineke! Orchestra, and Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. Theatre company Punchdrunk, assisted by Haworth Tompkins, are currently creating an “immersive theatre show” which will run across the three buildings repaired on a short-term basis, and will be “incorporating the architecture into their sets,” says Curtis. The hope is that the new ‘district’ will attract both local and national audiences, fed by the Crossrail station set to open this year, “connecting the borough and venue to a far larger audience base,” Curtis comments. He adds that this was “one of the key enablers for the project, as the area is to be much better connected to central London.”
Design approach
The key objective for the practice when considering the design goals was
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maintaining a “light touch” approach. This would ensure the integrity of the buildings – which were decommissioned in the post- war period – would remain intact. He explains: “This means retaining the existing character and layout so they’re still innately recognisable – leaving all the brick uncleaned, for instance. He adds: “Heritage was prioritised in any intervention we were undertaking; ultimately it’s still obvious these buildings were once factories.” This approach also helped given the £35m budget, which Curtis describes as “tight” when spread across five substantial listed buildings. Although Bennetts Associates have had previous experience on similar cultural projects – such as the conversion of an Art Deco cinema into a new cultural centre in Chester, this project presented particular challenges they hadn’t encountered previously. “The unique thing about Woolwich Works is the extreme adaptation of the buildings,” Curtis says. “Their new life as performance spaces is a significant departure from the original use as a munitions factory.”
The buildings that remained (following the early demolition of some structures from the post-war years) were in good
ADF JANUARY 2022
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