At the Heart of Hackney since 1967 2011 THE HACKNEY SOCIETY SPACENews and views about Hackney’s built Senvironment Issue 33 Summer 2011 Bateman’s Row By Kevin Moore I first came across the architect couple showing this to be a finely crafted and with our praise. It also received a Hackney Soraya Khan and Patrick Theis in 1999 considered building. Design Award. when I asked them to renovate my own The corner of Bateman’s Row and French View this building at night from Shoreditch house. They were keen to create a kitchen Place is outside the South Shoreditch High Street, looking up towards Kingsland in the basement, but less excited about Conservation Area. I only wish there were Road. It encapsulates exactly what is the prospect of renovating an entire listed more new buildings of this quality within it. meant by a contextual building within the building. Wanting a single contractor, I existing cityscape. The building is dark took them out of the equation. Big Mistake! Of the building the RIBA said: ‘In its and solid at the bottom and lights up to a Bateman’s Row is a remarkable building response to its surroundings, its scale and floating, glazed open top. It also has solar reminiscent of a Le Corbusier villa, recalling its mix of uses, this development defines panels, a green roof and natural ventilation. that period of heroic modernism. The a vision for the future of Shoreditch. It The lucky owners also have a generous top interior with dark, deep corners, numerous provides an environment for family-living floor roof terrace. Hackney deserves more turns and small cupboard spaces hints at a within a tough urban context and an buildings of this kind. mixture of medieval and modern. apartment with qualities that you couldn’t easily find in a house … . It is a relevant Photos: (bottom right) by Philip Vile, The building is a clever mix-use develop- piece of city-making that is ordinary the others by Nick Kane ment with the architects’ own home on in its programme yet is executed with the second, third and fourth floors, with extraordinary care and judgement, taking it contents an office on the first floor. Two studio flats into the realms of the special.’ and a one-bedroom flat also occupy this 01 Bateman’s Row constrained site. The ceiling heights vary, No wonder Bateman’s Row was shortlisted 02 Building Watch: Pond House to reflect the use of the rooms. There are for the Stirling Prize. The building has been 02 Building Watch: Haggerston Baths rightly much-lauded. It first came to my a lot of ideas packed into a small building. 03 Entertainment in Hackney The cantilevered staircase provides the attention when I was a judge for the Civic 04 Hackney Society events wow factor, but flush, frameless windows, Trust Awards; the panel was unanimous glazed corners, and contrasting deep in awarding a commendation. Indeed, I 04 Noticeboard recesses accentuate the rich texture think we should have been more forthright 04 Publications Building Watch Pond House By Bruce Eadie Dellmount Estates, the owners of listed Grade II* Pond House at 162 Lower Clapton Road, have submitted new plans for its restoration and conversion into flats. Pond House, which overlooks Clapton Pond House, irreparable damage would Pond, was built around 1800 when Clapton have been done to the historic fabric of the was a fashionable, semi-rural suburb building. Fortunately, these ill-considered of London. It was one of the finest late proposals were rejected by the Council. Georgian houses to be built in Hackney In March this year, having enlisted the and, despite a century of neglect and expertise of CMA Planning, new proposals having languished on English Heritage’s were submitted for five residential units ‘Buildings at Risk’ register for over a decade, it retains many stunning and within Pond House and the building of six original internal and external features. houses on the site of the garages. The halving of the proposed number of units In late 2008, Dellmount Estates submitted allows them to be accommodated within plans for the conversion of the house and the structure of the house, rather than the stables into ten self-contained residential house having to be pulled apart to fit in as units, with the building of an additional many units as possible. 14 flats in the grounds of Pond House on the site of derelict garages that face To convert the house to flats and build on to Mildenhall Road. The plans were on part of the garden may not be viewed with alarm by the Clapton Pond everyone’s ideal solution to the problem Neighbourhood Action Group, the Clapton of Pond House, but the new plans are Conservation Areas Advisory Committee a vast improvement on the plans and many local people who had long submitted in 2008 and will secure and appreciated the qualities of the house. By preserve the fabric of the house for the squeezing so many residential units into foreseeable future. Haggerston Pool Restoration Victim of Spending Cuts By Liz Hughes The Council’s plans to re-open Haggerston Pool at the heart of a Health and Wellbeing Centre have stopped due to lack of funding. Despite a £5 million grant from the The current plan Government’s Department for Children, is to mothball Schools and Families, the Council has been the building to unable to raise the full amount needed preserve its fabric. for this plan, which would have seen a The Council doctor’s surgery, hydrotherapy pool, youth say they remain and sports facilities developed alongside committed in the restored swimming pool. the long term to re-opening the In a letter to Haggerston Pool Community pool: ‘Despite the decision not to progress Trust, the Council said: ‘While we were the project at present, the political will working hard to develop ambitious and and determination of the Council eventually robust plans for the redevelopment of the to restore this facility to public use has Baths, the funding gap needed to ensure not diminished.’ the future of this project was, of course, a source of concern for the Council. Haggerston Pool Community Trust commented: ‘We have been campaigning This led to a review of the Baths project for Haggerston Pool for 11 years since within the context of wider corporate its closure – it remains derelict, guarded capital projects. This process was recently 24 hours by security, as Haggerston re-opening. We would also like to see the concluded and, unfortunately, the redevel- is redeveloped and a new community building put to temporary community use, opment of the Baths project as we had is moving in. We are glad to hear that rather than mothballed, where it runs the originally intended has had to be stopped.’ the Council remains committed to its danger of being forgotten.’ 02 Entertainment in Hackney Part 2 The History of the Hackney Empire By Jascha Philipp Braun The Hackney Empire is hard to miss. Pick’ and ‘Oh, Boy!’ were Not only is it centrally located in broadcast live. Marty Wilde, Hackney, but it is designed in an eye- Cliff Richard and Maria catching way with the façade of the Callas appeared, and building dominating Mare Street. ‘Emergency Ward 10’ was filmed at the Empire. Frank Matcham (1854-1920), the well- known architect who created and Since the greatness of modernised about 150 theatres all over Matcham’s work was Britain, planned this Grade II* listed not fully recognised until complex. Completed in 1901, it was 60 years after his death, the originally used as a music hall. Matcham’s Empire lived in the shadows in the following buildings showed high standards in years. The evident decline began in 1963 functionality and technology. The Empire when the Mecca Organisation opened a was equipped with electric lights, central bingo hall. The new owner invested little in heating and an in-built projection box – very maintenance, and the extravagance of a progressive in those days. bygone age became increasingly faded. In 1984 the Mecca Organisation decided The appeal of the red-bricked theatre to close the bingo hall because of the lies in its opulently designed interior. An high upkeep costs and offered the atmospheric play of red, green and golden Empire to Ronald Muldoon, the manager colours illuminate the exquisite stucco work. of the satirical theatre group CAST The Architectural Review writes: ‘Matcham (Cartoon Archetypical Slogan Theatre). understood the mystery and magic of the The renaissance of the building is due theatre and turned it into architecture. to Muldoon, who returned the historic The Empire closed for two years and was His imaginative genius is perhaps theatre to a dignified use. While others refurbished for £17 million by Tim Ronalds most powerfully demonstrated by the planned demolition, he had the vision to Architects. Besides the restoration of the extraordinary Hackney Empire.’ (Architectural re-establish a permanent stage – and he historical parts a modern annexe on the Review, 203 (1214), April 1998, p98.) was successful. CAST began to restore south side was added to accommodate The extraordinary place attracted extraor- and to modernise the building. On its a new theatre studio. The major improve- dinary artists. Stanley Holloway, Charlie 85th birthday, 9 December 1986, the ments included a 60-seat orchestra pit to Chaplin, Stan Laurel and Marie Lloyd theatre with its 1500 seats re-opened make possible opera performances and a appeared at the Empire – to name just a and developed into the leading centre of new backstage area. few. In the 1920s burlesque, variety, plays alternative comedy in London.