Bromley Town Hall – A Breath of Fresh Air

In an ideal world, you really need to visit and experience the newly refurbished Grade II listed Bromley Town Hall.  The photos are fabulous, but they belie the intimacy of the development making it a lovely place to ‘be’.

Perhaps understandably, during the planning stages, there was some local concern about making changes to an iconic, much-loved landmark, but those fears were assuaged, and after over 10 years sitting vacant, the building is now returned to a busy hub with 73,000 sq ft of modern Clockwise flexible co-worker offices, members lounge and the Dorothy & Marshall Restaurant.  A boutique hotel, Brama, will open in early summer this year. The whole reform is designed to attract business and investment into the local community.

Originally built in 1907, and substantially added to in 1939, the building including the Town Hall and Courthouse were Grade II Listed in 1973. The site has a rich and varied history; including as a Magistrates Court. The basement, through the oldest sections, of the building were bomb shelters in WW2. It provided the backdrop for David Bowie’s 1st marriage to Mary Angela Barnett and even housed an underground nuclear fall-out shelter in the 1980s, before becoming home to Bromley College until 2007 whereupon it remained vacant until the redevelopment by Castleforge Partners.

Restoration of some of the outstanding original design features included four giant fluted concrete columns clad in green marble, restoration to the original terrazzo floor, and to stone architrave and fireplaces. New modern finishes were seamlessly integrated with the existing features to create a modern, yet characterful working environment.

A new staircase has been constructed to go up into the old loft space. It’s a bit of a quirky set up because of the rake of the roof but it means the whole area can be well utilised as offices.

Extensive heritage restoration was painstakingly undertaken by our specialist conservation sub-contractor. The renovation includes preserving and reinstating the wood panelling in the old Courthouse, the former Council Chambers, former chapel (which had been open to the elements for some years), and the old council committee rooms.

The original decorative lime plaster was in poor condition following years of neglect but  was restored to its former glory, Similarly, the heritage paintwork was expertly bought back to life.  Many of the intricate and ornate original mouldings were also damaged or missing, and we engaged with British Mouldings to replicate and repair these key elements.  Many of the original feature chandeliers were retained and refurbished to ensure they can be enjoyed for many years to come.

The original Old Courthouse is now the Dorothy and Marshall Restaurant.  With its high vaulted roof, the new paintwork is indistinguishable from the old.  Below the restaurant, the toilets are constructed in the old holding cells.  The original stairs up to the dock are still in place.  The old door to the safe remains.

There was complete replacement of the entire mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. This included new main switchboards and distribution and centralised plant for heating and hot water.

This was our largest project of the year completing 2022/23 and we’re proud to have maintained a very tidy, well organised site for nigh on a year.

Project:                Bromley Town Hall, Tweedy Road, BR1 3FE
Client:                  Castleforge Partners
Architect:            Cartwright Pickard
QS:                        Core Five LLP
Designer:            Fusion Interior Group