Heritage Assesment

Rollins House Excelsior Works 53-57 Rollins Street

SE15 1EP

Unlisted building not within a Conservation Area

HERITAGE ASSESMENT

Prepared by: August 2015

Prepared for:

Stephen Levrant Heritage Architeccture. Ltd. RENEWAL 62 British Grove, Chiswick, London W4 2NL T: 020 8748 5501 F: 020 8748 4492

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Rollins House – Heritage Assessment

While Copyright in this volume document report as a whole is vested in Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture Ltd., copyright to individual contributions regarding sections of referenced works belongs to their respective authors, and no part may be reproduced, transmitted stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any mean whether electronic, mechanical, via photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the previous consent from

Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture Ltd.

Document production © Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture Ltd 2015.

Final Issued: August 2015

Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture Ltd is a Limited Liability Partnership Registered in England 3053944 • VAT GB656883581.

Registered office: 62 British Grove, London, W4 2NL.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION ...... 4 1.1 Aim of this Report ...... 4 1.2 Authorship ...... 4 1.3 Methodology Statement ...... 4 1.3.1 Literature and Documentary Research Review ...... 4 1.3.2 Area Surveying ...... 4 2 GENERAL INFORMATION ...... 5 2.1 Statutory sites ...... 7 3 THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA ...... 9 3.1 Development of the area ...... 9 3.2 The Excelsior Works Site ...... 9 3.3 Map regression ...... 10 4 Aerial photographic evidence ...... 19 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING ...... 22 6 SIGNIFICANCE APPRAISAL ...... 26 6.1 Summary of significance ...... 32 7 PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION FOR LISTED BUILDINGS ...... 32 7.1 Architectural Interest ...... 32 7.2 Historic Interest ...... 32 7.3 Age and Rarity ...... 32 7.4 Aesthetic Merits ...... 32 7.5 Selectivity ...... 32 7.6 National Interest ...... 32 7.7 Conclusion ...... 33 8 CONCLUSION ...... 33 APPENDIX: Responses to objections ...... 34 1. Objection Letter from The Peckham Society ...... 38 2. Objection Letter from Gabriella Kardos, Jeff Lowe, Willow Winston, Terence William, Nicholas Ashley ...... 40 3. Objection Letter from 20th-Century Society ...... 41 4. Summary of Objections (produced by unknown third party) ...... 42 5. Historic England Assessment ...... 45

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Aim of this Report

The purpose of this Heritage Statement is to assess the significance of Rollins House and the contribution it makes to the surrounding area in the context of the Planning Application DC/14/88305 for its redevelopment.

This report sets out:

 A brief history of the site and the area around the site

 A summary of the significance of the building

The Appendix sets out a response to objections received by Lewisham Council to the proposed redevelopment of Rollins House, based on the significance assessment.

1.2 Authorship

This heritage statement has been prepared by Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture Ltd, which specialises in the historic cultural environment.

 Stephen Levrant [RIBA, AA Dip, IHBC, Dip Cons (AA), FRSA] – Principal Architect  Dorian Crone – [RIBA, MRTPI, IHBC] - Senior Associate Architect  Alexandra Niculici [Dipl. Arch, MSc Hist Cons] – Architectural Conservation Consultant  Daniel Cummins [MA (Oxon) PhD] – Historic Buildings Consultant

1.3 Methodology Statement

This assessment has been carried out using desk-based data gathering and fieldwork.

The methods used in order to undertake the study were the following:

1.3.1 Literature and Documentary Research Review The documentary research was based upon primary and secondary sources of local history and architecture, including maps, drawings and reports. Attention was given to the National Archives, the RIBA Library and Archives, the London Metropolitan Archives and the London Borough of Lewisham Local History Library and Archives.

Dates of elements and construction periods have been identified using documentary sources and visual evidence based upon experience gained from similar building types and construction sites.

1.3.2 Area Surveying A survey of the surrounding areas was conducted in November 2014 by visual inspection to analyse the site and the exterior of Rollins House. The basement and ground floor have also been inspected but there was no access to the first floor apartment or to the entrance tower.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

2 GENERAL INFORMATION The site is located in the northern part of the London Borough of Lewisham, south of the South Bermondsey train station (Fig.1). Rollins House is part of the Excelsior Works site and it refers to a group of buildings which consist of the new build unit A (semi-complete), Unit B which fronts Rollins Street and is the original building, Units C and D which are a much later addition, and Unit 12 Excelsior Works (Fig.2 and 3).

This report comprises an assessment of Unit B of Rollins House, henceforward referred to as Rollins House.

Figure 1 Approximate location of Rollins House within the Borough of Lewisham

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Figure 2 Aerial view. The Rollins House is marked by a red rectangle, while the other Units A,C,D and E are marked in green. The Excelsior Works site is marked in blue. (© Bing)

Figure 3 Aerial view. The Rollins House is marked by a red rectangle, while the other Units A,C,D and E are marked in green. The Excelsior Works site is marked in blue. (© Google)

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Figure 4 Aerial view of Rollins House (marked in red). The Excelsior Works site is marked in blue (© Bing)

2.1 Statutory sites

The site is not located within any of the designated Conservation Areas of the London Borough of Lewisham (Fig.5).

There are no designated heritage assets in the close vicinity of the subject site or within the site itself.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Figure 5 Location of Rollins House respective to the designated Conservation Areas within the Borough of Lewisham (©London borough of Lewisham)

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

3 THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA

3.1 Development of the area

Since its beginnings, the village of Lewisham (called Levesham - meaning ‘the house among the meadows’ – during Saxon times) was closely connected to the river, with early development and industry along the waterfront while the rest of the area remained undeveloped.

The 19th century industrialization and the construction of railways brought rapid urbanisation to the village - most of the borough was constructed during this century and Lewisham became one of the suburban areas of London.

The Grand Surrey Canal, was also constructed during the early 19th century on the south bank of river Thames and opened to the Old Kent Road in 1807, to Camberwell in 1810 and to Peckham in 1826.

It could handle vessels of up to 18ft width and was primarily used for transporting timber, and also limestone. Sawmills and lime kilns were constructed on its banks as a result. During Victorian times the canal was also used for swimming and illegal dog racing along its banks.

After the rationalization of docks in 1908, the canal started to be managed as part of the Surrey Docks and became known as the Surrey Canal. By this time, the area around the canal developed considerably and had a strong residential character, with rows of Victorian terraces being built on both sides of the canal.

Several industrial sites also developed along the canal, contributing towards the mixed character of the area. The Excelsior Site works was one of them.

After the end of the Second World War, the canal began to lose its profitability. Its use declined and it was abandoned, drained and filled beginning in the 1940s. In the 1980s, the section of canal between South Bermondsey and Deptford was closed and transformed into a vehicular road known as Surrey Canal Road.

3.2 The Excelsior Works Site

The Excelsior Works site developed as an industrial one in the early 20th century and has always been connected to manufacturing. The following companies were known to occupy the site throughout the 20th century:

Ebonestos Industries was a company specialising in the manufacturing of moulded plastics and plastic electrical insulators. Previously located in New Cross, by 1926 the company moved to the Excelsior Works site where it stayed until 1985.

Crystalate Company was founded in 1910 and was known for manufacturing plastic products before entering the record-making business. After financial troubles encountered during the Great Depression, it was bought out by Decca Records in the mid-30s.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

British Homophone were known for selling gramophones under the trade of Sterno for some years, distributing records since 1906 and producing Sterno records from 1926 to 1935.

Decca has its origins in ‘Barnett Samuel and Sons’, a company that was established in 1832 in Sheffield and used to produce tortoiseshell doorknobs, combs and knifes. After moving to London, the company expanded to producing banjos and by 1901 became one of the largest musical instrument wholesalers.

In 1928 the company was sold to Edward Lewis, a young stockbroker from Derby, and became ‘Decca Gramophone Company’. By 1929 the company started to produce records and became, in several years, the second largest record label in the world, after EMI.

EMI (Electric and Musical Industries Ltd) was establish in 1931 following the merge of Columbia Gramophone Company and the Gramophone Company. Apart from manufacturing gramophones and other electrical devices, EMI became, along with Decca one of the most successful record companies in the world.

After the Second World War, many record companies struggled to survive and many were bought out by EMI or Decca. By1962, British Homophone was joint purchased by Decca and EMI and moved to the Excelsior Site where it had a recording pressing plant.

Even though all the companies mentioned above are known to be connected to the Excelsior Works site at some point, there are no records mentioning Rollins House in particular; rather, the whole of the Excelsior Works Site is mentioned. We do not know which activities took place within the building. There is no evidence that the building was associated with specifically important historical events.

3.3 Map regression

Further to the brief historical context outlined above, the following historic maps and images illustrate the changing context of the area around the site. The Excelsior Site is marked in blue, while the outline of the Rollins House is marked in red.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1895 Map – At the end of the 19th century, the site where the Excelsior Works site would be not developed. The surrounding area was already occupied mostly by rows of terraces, but some of the sites adjacent to the canal were occupied by industrial buildings – Tar Paving & Artificial Stone Works and Leather Cleaning Works were the two around the future Excelsior Works site. The northern side of Rollins Street is shown undeveloped, with only five houses being built by 1895. Its southern site appears not being completed as well.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1916 Map – The area close to the subject site changed drastically in the next 20 years. By 1916 Rollins Street was fully occupied by rows of terraces. The area between the back of the terraces on the northern side of Rollins Street and the Surrey Canal was occupied by industrial buildings.

The Excelsior Works site is shown here, but it did not include the area where Rollins House would be built – this area was still occupied by terraces and was not part of the Excelsior Works site.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1938 Map – This map was an updated version of the Ordnance Survey produced for the Valuation Estates and Housing Department. It shows that in the years before the beginning of the Second World War, the area and the site have not changed. No new buildings were constructed around on the Excelsior Works site. No buildings from the 1916 map have been demolished either. Rollins House was not yet built.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1945 London County Council Bomb Damage Map – During the Second World War the area was affected by bombing. The Excelsior Works site is depicted in the ‘Bomb Damage Map’ in orange which means ‘general blast damage minor in nature’. This map was based on the 1916 Ordnance Survey.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

The 1949-1954 Map shows that Rollins House was not built during the 1940s. The shape of the Excelsior Works site as well as the buildings on it are the same as shown on the 1916 map, except for the several terraces on the northern side of Rollins Street which were affected by bombing during the Second World War.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1951 Map – By 1951 however, the site had changed: the Excelsior Works site now extended to Rollins Street. Several terraces have been demolished to make space for new buildings attached to the Excelsior Works site; one of these new buildings being Rollins House.

It can be concluded that Rollins House was built around 1950.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1953-1970 Map – The layout of the Excelsior Site shown in the 1951 map was unchanged untill 1953- 1970. The only change noticeble from the above map related to the demolition of several buildings on Rollins Street, west of the subject site.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1995 Map – By 1995 the Excelsior Site had been enlarged and incoprorated the building to its west – Guild House. The former Grand Surrey Canal was now Surrey Road.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

4 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE

1940-45 – The site of Rollins House on the former terrace of Victorian houses is poorly defined but appears to have been cleared with no buildings on site. This gap is consistent with a recorded high explosive bomb which fell on the north side of Rollins Street between October 1940 and June 1941 and which was probably responsible for the general blast damage caused to the buildings on the Excelsior Works site. The light shading matches the area to the west which was shaded purple on the bomb damage map and destroyed, meaning it is highly likely that the terrace which was on the subject site suffered minor bomb damage and was cleared soon after. (unknown, www.ukaerialphots.com)

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1940s – This aerial photograph confirms the first photograph in that the site of Rollins House appears to have been cleared of buildings at this time. The only potential feature is located too far north beyond the building line of Rollins House. (Luftwaffe, www.ukaerialphots.com)

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Towpath

Northern building line of Guild House

Southern building line of Guild House

Site of Rollins House

Overlay – This plan shows the 1940s Luftwaffe aerial photograph in context with a modern aerial image taken in 2014 (© Google maps). This confirms that the site of Rollins House is located in what appears to be a cleared part of the street at some point during the 1940s. This supports the map evidence that Rollins House was not built pre-war during the 1930s.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

5 DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING

Rollins House is a three storey building, built using a mixed structure of reinforced concrete beams and pillars, and structural brick exterior walls on its northern, western and eastern sides. It has a flat roof with parapet and its main entrance is on the Rollins Street elevation (southern elevation).

The southern elevation (figure 6 and 7) is divided in two unequal sections. The first one comprises the entrance and has a brick finish. The door is marked by a Deco-style cantilevered concrete canopy and concrete mullions on each side. Above the canopy there are two identical windows with PVC double glazing, divided in six panes each. A small window of three panes is located to the eastern side of the entrance door. The second section of the elevation is rendered and is marked by a long horizontal window to the first floor level, divided in four by brick mullions. The ground floor elevation has been partially removed.

The western elevation is a blank wall. There is a delineation between the ground floor and first floor due to the render used.

The east elevation has two six paned PVC windows at the first floor and none at ground floor. There are four types of bricks used here, a sign of the changes through which the building has gone through (Figure 8).

The northern elevation (Figure 9) had until 2003 a single story shed attached to it. There is an exposed metal beam visible on the elevation. The first floor has UPVC windows similar to those on the south side elevation.

The building has been largely altered through time. Unauthorised works were carried out in the early 2000s. The ground floor of Rollins House has been almost entirely removed and a lower ground floor has been excavated.

Access was not granted to the inside of the building.

The building is currently in a bad state of repair. The upper floor is now being used as a private residence.

A full planning history illustrating some of the alterations made to Rollins House can be seen below.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Figure 6 & Figure 7: Rollins House – View from Rollins Street

Figure 8 Eastern elevation of Rollins House Figure 9 Northern elevation of Rollins House

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Planning History

DC/14/88305 | Redevelopment of Units A, B, C, D, Rollins 09 Jul Pending House, Excelsior Works, Rollins Street SE15 2014 1EP and surrounding hard standing to create a mixed use building comprising residential and commercial floorspace and associated new landscaping (Outline Application).

DC/13/85143 An application submitted under Section 73 of the 04 Granted Town & Country Planning Act 1990 for a minor Oct material amendment to planning permission 2013 (DC/11/76357)

DC/11/76357 Revisions to planning application for the 18 Granted comprehensive phased mixed-use development Jan of the site for up to 240,000 sqm of 2011 development

DC/04/57765 The alteration and conversion of the first floor of 02 Granted Unit B, Rollins House, Rollins Street SE15, Sep (conditional) together with the construction of an additional 2004 storey incorporating a mansard roof and roof terrace at second floor level to provide 1 studio live/work unit, 1 two bedroom live/work unit, and 1 three bedroom duplex live/work unit together with alterations to the side elevations.

DC/03/54045 The conversion of the ground and mezzanine 21 Refused floors of Rollins House, 55-57 Rollins Street May SE15, to provide 4, two bedroom live/work units, 2003 together with alterations to the elevations and construction of a four storey building to the rear to provide 8, two bedroom live/work units, associated landscaping and provision of balconies, cycle and bin stores

DC/03/55117 The demolition of the rear part of Rollins House, 29 Granted Rollins Street SE15, and the construction of a Sep (conditional) part three/part four storey block, together with 2003 the conversion of the remaining ground floor area of Rollins House to provide 4 studio and 8 two bedroom, live/work units, incorporating balconies/roof terracing, together with associated landscaping and provision of a bin stores and cycle parking

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

DC/01/48520 The alteration and construction of an additional 26 Granted storey at second floor level at Rollins House, Mar (conditional) Rollins Street, SE15 to provide additional living 2001 accommodation in connection with the provision of a two bedroom live/work unit.

DC/00/47014 The change of use of Rollins House and Unit 18, 27 Jul Granted Excelsior Works, Rollins Street SE15 to provide 2000 (conditional) 4 live/work units at Rollins House and 1 live/work unit at Unit 18, together with alterations to the front and rear elevations of Rollins House and alterations to the front and rear elevations of Unit 18, including alterations to the roof pitch and the provision of balconies on the front and rear gables of the building.

92/33855 Change of the use of Rollins House to 13 Granted manufacture of upholstery products (class B1) Feb 1992

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

6 SIGNIFICANCE APPRAISAL Although Rollins House is not statutory or locally listed, the descriptive appraisal will evaluate the buildings against listed selection criteria of ‘Principles of Selection for Listing Buildings’, DCMS, 2010. Historic England’s criteria outlined in ‘Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance,’ which partially overlap with the Statutory Criteria, have also been considered and encompass the following values:

. Evidential Value – this relates to the potential of the place to yield primary evidence about past human activity;

. Historical Value – relevant to ways in which the present can be connected through a place to past people, events and aspects of life;

. Aesthetic Value – focusing on the ways in which sensory and intellectual stimulation is derived from the place;

. Communal Value – relating to the meaning the buildings on site has for the people of Lewisham and the collective experience of memory it holds.

The key criteria for listing are special historic or architectural interest. Consequently, in order to determine the significance of a certain component of a heritage asset the sum of its architectural, historic, artistic or archaeological value needs to be disaggregated and determined.

Evidential value

"Evidential value derives from the potential of a place to yield evidence about past human activity" (Conservation Principles Para 35).

“Evidential value derives from the physical remains or the genetic lines that had been inherited from the past. The ability to understand and interpret the evidence tends to be diminished in proportion to the extent of its removal or replacement" (Conservation Principles, Para 36).

Rollins House has been the subject of a high degree of alteration, with virtually all original features (including the metal windows) removed; only the front element survives of an originally much larger complex. Little or none of the surviving fabric indicates the specific function of the building and there is no evidence of surviving machinery. It yields little evidence about past human activity of interest or significance other than its possible use as an office. Therefore, evidential value is low.

Historical value

"Historical value derives from the ways in which past people, events and aspects of life can be connected through a place to the present. It tends to be illustrative or associative." (Conservation Principles Para 39).

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

“The historical value of places depends upon both sound identification and direct experience of fabric or landscape that has survived from the past, but is not as easily diminished by change or partial replacement as evidential value. The authenticity of a place indeed often lies in visible evidence of change as a result of people responding to changing circumstances. Historical values are harmed only to the extent that adaptation has obliterated or concealed them, although completeness does tend to strengthen illustrative value.” (Conservation Principles Para 44).

The Excelsior Works site represents a typical industrial site developed along the former Grand Surrey Canal during the early 19th century. Its location adjacent to the course of the water in order to use water transportation is characteristic for manufacturing companies in the area; however Rollins House was built later, during the late 1940s or early 1950s, and was not part of the original layout of the Excelsior Works Site. By that time the use of the canal started to decline and it is unlikely that Rollins House was closely linked to the canal when it was built.

Conclusive information about the original use of the Rollins House has not been found. However, its location on Rollins Street, with a formal entrance and elevation treatment may suggest that the building was used as an administrative building (at least partially). The height of the ground floor (approx. 4.6m) leads to speculation that, while the first floor had a potentially administrative use, the ground floor could have been used either as storage or as display space. There are no elements that indicate that this was a space used for manufacturing.

Most of the technical advancements made in the recording industry by the British Homophone or Decca happened before 1950. Decca Navigation was developed in 1943 and its submarine detection method was developed before the ending of the war. Double-sided records were produced by late 1910’s in Europe, and probably when British Homophone was formed in early 1920s, it already used this system. British Homophone was sold in 1937 and Decca and EMI opened a pressing factory on the Excelsior Site after that; it is unlikely that Rollins House was built to host the pressing factory that functioned somewhere else on site.

The building does not have any historical value that comes from being the place where records where pressed for Decca Records nor for production of plastic products by Ebonestos, as neither of these activities took place in this building.

The architect of Rollins House is not known but it has been suggested that this was one of the projects of the ‘Wallis, Gilbert and Partners’ practice. There is no evidence to this effect and it is also very unlikely from the evidence that there is. The practice was well known in the 1920s-1940s for working on large industrial buildings (the Hoover Building and Old Vinyl factory in Hayes being the most famous ones) so it is highly unlikely that the practice was involved in such a modest project. Thomas Wallis retired in 1937 and the practice closed shortly afterwards; Rollins House is not included in the list of their buildings in the most complete study of the practice. The historic value is therefore low.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Aesthetic value

"Aesthetic value derives from the ways in which people draw sensory and intellectual stimulation from a place". (Conservation Principles Para 46).

"Aesthetic values can be the result of conscious design of a place including artistic endeavour. Equally they can be the seemingly fortuitous outcome of the way in which a place has evolved and be used over time. Many places combine these two aspects… Aesthetic values tend to be specific to a time cultural context and appreciation of them is not culturally exclusive." (Conservation Principles Para 47).

"Design value relates primarily to the aesthetic qualities generated by the conscious design of the building, structure or landscape as a whole. This embraces composition (form, proportions, massing, silhouette, views and vistas, circulation) and usually materials or planting, decoration or detailing, and craftsmanship.” (Conservation Principles Para 48).

The building has some aesthetic value in relation to its entrance, canopy and, we understand, internal staircase. However due to the unauthorised removal of the ground floor in 1992 and the replacement of its original windows with UPVC ones, the original proportions and character of the elevations have been lost. This diminishes any aesthetic value that the building might have had, as the original design can hardly be appreciated. The building does not form part of a local group and has little or no streetscape value. Aesthetic value is therefore low.

Communal value

”Communal value, derives from the meanings of a place for the people who relate to it, or for whom it figures in their collective experience or memory. Communal values are closely bound up with historical value, but tend to have additional and specific aspects” (Conservation Principles, Para 54).

Although the Excelsior Works Site, and by implication Rollins House, was a place where some of the local people were employed, it did not hold any specific importance for the community and has not been an operational place of work since 1985. There were a number of other industrial sites in the area of the same scale and importance, and it is unlikely that the Excelsior Site was a focus point for the surrounding area. Its communal value is low.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

The analysis of the significance and condition of the fabric allows for an assessment of the current integrity and authenticity of the structures. This has been used to inform and justify their capacity for change. The focus is on providing necessary and proportional amount of information, in order to justify their proposed demolition, based on the perceived level of heritage significance.

High significance relates to those parts or elements of the building/structure deemed to be of particularly special interest. These components are fundamental to the understanding of the architectural design concept, and play a major role in reflecting their evidential, historic, aesthetic or communal values. The loss of such elements (through demolition, removals, or alterations) could potentially cause a highly adverse impact on the special interest of the building and has been largely been avoided in the proposed development.

Medium significance relates to those components of the building/structure deemed to be of special interest. They are important to the understanding of the architectural design concept, and play a considerable role in reflecting the buildings’ evidential, historic, aesthetic or communal values. The loss of such elements (through demolition, removals, and/or alterations) could potentially cause a moderate adverse impact on the special interest of the building.

Low significance relates to those components of the building/structure deemed to be of more modest interest. They provide a minor contribution to the understanding of the architectural design concept and a modest role in revealing the buildings’ evidential, historic, aesthetic or communal values. The loss of such elements (through demolition, removal, or alteration) may cause a minor adverse or neutral impact on the special interest of the building.

No significance: features and elements that do not contain any special interest.

Detrimental elements. These can detract from the significance of the building/structure and maybe evidence of poor craftsmanship or ad-hoc refurbishments. The loss of such elements (through demolition, removal or alteration) could potentially have a beneficial impact on the special interest of the building.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Table 2: Existing photos of Rollins House

Photo Description

Rollins Street Elevation (South)

Low significance

Entrance on main south elevation

Low significance

Western elevation

No significance

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

Table 2: Existing photos of Rollins House

Photo Description

Northern elevation

No significance

Eastern elevation

Low significance

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

6.1 Summary of significance

Rollins House therefore possesses low heritage value and is considered to be of little or low significance. It is therefore highly unlikely that the building would merit either statutory or local listing.

7 PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION FOR LISTED BUILDINGS

This section will assess the buildings against listed selection criteria, identifying particular elements and/or features that warrant retention or general lack of value. The significance assessment tests both the building and the boundary wall against the criteria set out in DCMS “Principles of Selection for Listing Buildings” (March 2010).

7.1 Architectural Interest

The structure’s design and materials used are of low architectural interest. Additionally, in terms of layout and construction of the Rollins House, there is little innovation. Proportions of openings and floor space are typical of the 1950’s industrial buildings.

7.2 Historic Interest

While the site of the Excelsior Works is associated with various companies which were leaders in their respective fields, Rollins House in particular is not associated with any historical event or person, nor does it exemplify social, cultural or military history.

7.3 Age and Rarity

The building was built during the late 1940s or early 1950s. Due to the increase in construction at that time, the rarity is diminished.

7.4 Aesthetic Merits

Architectural features do not represent any particular innovations or socio-economic aspects of the time of construction of the building.

7.5 Selectivity

As mentioned, rarity is diminished where there are many other existing buildings of similar quality. One building of this quality may be listed as a representative that exemplifies how others should be conserved. It is unlikely to gain listed building status based on selectivity because of its mediocre design.

7.6 National Interest

There are no architectural details that give the structures distinctive character or illustrate any particular traditional building methods in the region. They are therefore of little or no national interest.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

7.7 Conclusion

The building is not notable for its design, decoration or craftsmanship and has no special interest or particular distinctiveness to justify a designation.

8 CONCLUSION

Rollins House was considered for statutory listing by Historic England (then English Heritage) in March 2015 and was rejected because it was considered by them to be “too altered and of insufficient architectural or historical interest to merit listing”. A copy of their report can be seen in the annexe to this report.

The findings outlined in this report support the conclusion of Historic England. Rollins House was built during the late 1940s or early 1950s on a site that had been cleared most probably due to bomb damage in 1940-41; although displaying elements in the Art Deco style, it is likely the designs and materials were used from an earlier pre-war project. The lack of historical and architectural interest, as well as low heritage values mean the building makes at best a neutral contribution to the surrounding area and its demolition would not affect the character or appearance of the surrounding area. Indeed it could be argued that its poor condition, the semi derelict appearance of the ground floor and unattractive and inappropriate fenestration replacements, detrimentally affects the area and the building’s demolition might allow for the opportunity for a more appropriate and enhancing building.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

APPENDIX: RESPONSES TO OBJECTIONS

Copies of the objection letters received can be seen in an annexe to this document. They are from the Peckham Society (dated 6th July 2015), the 20th Century Society (dated 25th November 2014), and objections from Gabriella Kardos, Jeff Lowe, Willow Winston, Terrence William and Nicholas Ashley addressed to the Planning Committee on 13th November 2014, and an undated summary of their objections written by an unidentified third party. As many of the letters cover the same ground in terms of heritage implications, the objections have been grouped here into the three key issues which will be answered according to the findings presented throughout this report.

1. Date of Construction

The objectors contend that Rollins House was built 1937-1938 based on aerial photography and the architectural style of the building. The summary of objections document notes that

“At least two wartime aerial views show a) no Victorian buildings b) the clear shape of Rollins House and the skylight”.

The Peckham Society believes the building dates from the mid to late 1930s:

“The building’s confident modernist detailing, high quality facing bricks and interior metalwork all point to a building built in the interwar Art Deco heyday”.

The 20th Century Society stated that although altered

“this building has the characteristics of a classic 1930s architecture”.

Response: It is agreed that the dating of the building cannot be ascertained from the cartographic evidence alone owing to the use of earlier maps for the mapping of bomb damage. It is notable, however, that the revised OS map produced in 1937 (above) produced for the Valuation Estates and Housing Department clearly depicts the Victorian terrace still there at this time. Furthermore, the reliance on the aerial photography is not conclusive evidence in its own right. The site of Rollins House falls within an area which appears to have been cleared; there are no Victorian houses visible, but neither is it possible to identify any specific features or roof structures with certainty. However the area appears very similar to that of a cleared site visible further west along Rollins Street, the subject of a direct hit by a bomb. The only possible feature, which could be the skylight identified by the objectors, is located too far to the north of the footprint of Rollins House, whose building line is hard to the street. If the site was clear during the early 1940s, this suggests that Rollins House dates from the late 1940s to early 1950s when it is first depicted on the OS map.

A later construction date fits well with the design elements which place it within the modernist movement. This is reflected in the emphasis on horizontal lines, massing, the low flat roof, the large windows that allow natural light in, and the use of the open space are

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015 characteristics attached rather to the modernist movement rather than the Art Deco style. The overall lack of completeness in terms of Deco architecture and features, and the general combinations of styles, means it cannot be classed as a classic example of 1930s architecture; whilst it may possess some Deco characteristics, these are by no means conclusive in dating the building to the 1930s.

It is concluded therefore that the most likely explanation is that Rollins House dates from the late 1940s to early 1950s. Although the cartographic and photographic evidence cannot be used conclusively, a later date fits best with the evidence that is available and the architectural style of the building. The Art Deco influences are most likely to originate from designs (and possibly materials) from the 1930s which were never begun (or never used) owing to the outbreak of war in 1939; they were then implemented on the site of Rollins House which had been cleared after bomb damage during the early 1940s and incorporated some later architectural styles with the earlier designs and materials.

2. Historic Interest

The objectors contend that the historic interest of Rollins House lies in its association with the war effort in making components for the Air Ministry, and later in the development of plastics.

“Rollins House has played an important part in the history of the area as well as British and the international scene”.

The Peckham Society notes that Rollins House is

“a significant marker of Britain’s pioneering early plastics history” and

“is an important part of the surviving townscape of the Surrey Canal”.

The 20th Century Society observed the building’s

“rich history in terms of the role it played during the war, but also as the HQ to the British Homophone Company and later the Decca Record Company”.

Response: If the date of the building is late 1940s at the earliest (which this report contends), then the claim that it was significant to the war effort has no real basis. Even if this were the case, the supply of plastic components was clearly “of lesser historical importance” than factories where aircraft production took place, a fact highlighted within the assessment for statutory listing made by Historic England.

Besides its connection to the Second World War, it is claimed by the objectors that the building is closely connected to Sir Herbert Edward Morgan. Sir Herbert Edward Morgan was chairman of many companies, including ‘’Ebonestos or British Homophone’’, but it is not known if he ever visited Rollins House; if he did it is unlikely that he spent much time here and he was not based here continuously.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

The plastics and recording industries which occupied the site may be of some historic interest but are not of national significance; this is also the opinion of Historic England in their assessment of Rollins House. Most of the technical advancements made in the recording industry by the British Homophone or Decca happened before 1950. Moreover, there is no evidence that any manufacturing or production occurred at Rollins House, which appears to have had a largely administrative or storage function within a much larger site. The loss of much of the original site and associated buildings has left the building isolated and it is no longer possible to understand it as part of the much larger and significant Excelsior site. Coupled with the low aesthetic value of the building, this means the building does not contribute positively to the surviving townscape of the Surrey Canal.

3. Architectural Interest

The chief objections in terms of architectural interest relate to the possible association with leading architects Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, the excellence of the building as an example of Deco architecture and the innovative methods employed in its construction. The summary of objections document notes that

“Rollins House is an authentic and classic example of a 1930s industrial art deco building with modernist features” and

“The use of tooth brick is a perfect example of a pure art deco feature of an authentic art deco building”.

In their letter to the planning committee, the objectors highlighted that

“Rollins House, built in the Art Deco style, is also one of the first buildings using the then revolutionary principle of the Kahn system of reinforced concrete”.

Response: Outstanding decoration and design play key roles in establishing the architectural interest of a building. These elements at Rollins House are suggestive of Art Deco influences, but on their own are neither rare nor particularly outstanding. Completeness is also an issue in this case: Rollins House has been altered to such a degree that any surviving original features are fragmentary. The large number of later alterations, as well as the so-called ‘modernist’ features, precludes the building from being classed as a ‘classic’ 1930s art deco building and thereby reduces its architectural interest considerably as a complete and representative building of its type.

The association with a well-known or innovative architect or firm of architects can be a central component in appraising the architectural significance of a 20th-century building, especially when age and rarity are an issue. As outlined in this report, the attribution to Wallis, Gilbert and Partners is purely circumstantial and cannot be proven; it is also extremely unlikely owing to the modest dimensions of the building. In this case, however, any attribution would be largely irrelevant owing to the lack of architectural significance in terms of typicality and completeness.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

The building does not display any particular technical innovation in terms of its construction. The Kahn system used rolled diamond-shaped steel bars with flat-plate flanges (or “wings”) that were sliced and bent up at regular intervals at approximately 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the reinforcement. This allowed spans up to twenty feet to be used for a beam and pillar concrete structure of a building. The use of the Kahn system can only be conclusively confirmed once an intrusive survey is carried out. However, the dimensions and scale of the building suggests it is highly unlikely that the Kahn system was used.

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

1. Objection Letter from The Peckham Society

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

2. Objection Letter from Gabriella Kardos, Jeff Lowe, Willow Winston, Terence William, Nicholas Ashley

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

3. Objection Letter from 20th-Century Society

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

4. Summary of Objections (produced by unknown third party)

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015

5. Historic England Assessment

ROLLINS HOUSE August HERITAGE ASSESSMENT 2015