Fuller Long have worked to gain Listed Building Consent for extensive interior works on a Listed Building in the Barbican Estate. Works included extensive changes to the interior of a flat within the Lauderdale Tower, for which Listed Building Consent was required.
The property in question formed part of the Barbican complex, situated within London. The Barbican is a 35-acre mixed-use development constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, located between Barbican and Moorgate and underground stations and to the North East of St Paul’s Cathedral. The Barbican was Grade II listed on the 5th of September 2001. The Lauderdale Tower was described as an Estate of flats, comprising of maisonettes and terraced houses, a hostel, a girls’ school, a school of music and drama and an arts centre with extensive facilities.
Historic England has noted that although change to heritage assets is inevitable, it is only harmful when significance is damaged. The relevant heritage policies seek to ensure that the special interest of listed buildings is preserved, and if possible, enhanced. The Barbican is of particular interest in this sense as it is multifaceted and derives from a complex interrelationship of historic, architectural and aesthetic values.
The architectural design of the Barbican is characterised by its Brutalist style, developing the aesthetic of expressed structural elements and exposed concrete with a textured and distressed finish that had previously been used on the Golden Lane Estate.
The overall character, layout, relationship between buildings and spaces and external fabric of the Barbican is of the highest significance and is thus afforded the greatest level of protection. This was particularly important to our team when considering the historical and architectural significance of the building. Previous works to the flat had resulted in a loss of historic fabric and had impacted upon the original layout and spatial quality of the flat, reducing its value as a result. The proposed works to the flat included removal of the masonry wall, realignment of parts of the wall, replacement of doors, removal and replacement to internal doors and the enlargement of the kitchen area and increased projection into the living/dining space, which we successfully argued would improve the state of the flat and offer a better layout.
Our Heritage Statement proved that the proposed internal works were modest in terms of their scale and scope and would not impact upon the special architectural or historic interest. Furthermore, the replacement of features such as doors would match the detailing, materials and finish on a like for like basis.
The proposed works were also considered to fully comply with the requirements of The Corporation of London’s Local Plan policies. They were considered to preserve the special architectural and historic interest of the listed building in line with the statutory duty.
Legislation around Listed Buildings is in place for protection and sustainability, not for the restriction of development and improvement of these buildings. Renovations and works that consider these aspects when applying for listed building consent have very little to overcome and in doing so can vastly improve the living space and the value of their property.
To discuss issues regarding Listed Building Consent with one of our experienced team of Heritage consultants, please email us at hello@fullerlong.com
