Toynbee Hall
Toynbee Hall
We provided conservation and structural engineering services to an ambitous recasting of the Toynbee Hall site in east London.
Toynbee Hall in Whitechapel is home to the charity of the same name, founded by Samuel Barnett in 1884. He invited academics to live amongst the people of the East End as a means of understanding their difficulties and helping to pioneer practical ways to alleviate poverty.
We began with a conservation statement and conservation plan to inform a major redevelopment project and help secure heritage lottery funding. Our assessment of the site’s history and significance provided a firm knowledge base for the project. We acted as the structural engineers working with Richard Griffiths Architects on the design of the refurbishment works to the historic Hall and replacement of the unsympathetic extensions.
The project has provided the Toynbee Hall charity with a new stream of income from its restored events spaces. The first floor, once a labyrinth of small rooms used as dormitories, has been opened up into a more practical office space.
The project was shortlisted for a RIBA London Award in 2022 and won a NLA Award in 2020 for best Mixed-Use Charity Estate Regeneration.
Client: Toynbee Hall
Architects: Richard Griffiths Architects/Platform 5