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Brighton College 1 TG Jackson designed an ornate Tudor style entrance tower to Brighton College in 1887, but it was left unbuilt. 130
years later, we have finally completed the tower in terracotta on a brick core, to serve as the Headmaster’s study and
meeting room. The steel frame of the cupola and pinnacle was erected at ground level, then hoisted onto the tower
by crane. The tower has already become the symbolic image for the school.
London Docks 2The Pennington Street Warehouse is the only surviving part of the London Docks designed by Daniel Alexander
in 1805. The warehouse is of a sublime grandeur, having an imperforate brick boundary wall to Pennington Street
with brick groin-vaulted cellars to the full 1000 feet length of the building. We are creating five public entrances
through the buildings to the new public roadway to the south, allowing light, air, services and entrances to a range of
restaurant, office and leisure uses, as part of St George’s redevelopment of Fortress Wapping as a mixed commercial
and residential area. This will transform the area from a closed and hostile environment to a permeable, welcoming
and vibrant part of the city.
Lambeth Palace front cover, 3 To celebrate the Millennium and to open the Palace to visitors, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church
Commissioners embarked on an ambitious project to conserve and remodel an area at the heart of the Palace that gives
access to the wonderful 13th century crypt chapel. Some 20th century buildings were removed to create a new courtyard,
with a glazed roof, a stone floor and a stone seat around the perimeter to avoid the need to underpin the walls. A platform
lift gives access to ground, first and courtyard levels, whence a further, barely visible, scissor lift gives access to the crypt.
The contemporary bronze-finished steel, glass and timber bridge and balustrades make an effective contrast with the
heavy historic masonry walls, which were conserved and lime washed to bring out their rich texture.
Garrick Club, Covent Garden 4The Garrick Club was once renowned as the dirtiest building in London. Following a condition report that identified
extensive cracking of the rendered front elevation, the Club agreed to implement comprehensive cleaning and
repair to the elevation. There are now subtly different colours to the surviving plain render, the precast decorative
enrichments, and the new render applied over the cracks in the piano nobile, revealing the full splendour of the
Italianate Palazzo designed by Marrable in 1862. Marrable’s original watercolour view shows incised masonry block
lines in the render, albeit not implemented – until now, when we cut them into the new render to control cracking and
to restore Marrable’s original intentions.
Ragged School Museum, Tower Hamlets 5 Warehouses on the Grand Union canal north of Lime house Basin were converted shortly after their completion in the
1870’s to become the largest Ragged School in London. Richard Griffiths restored and converted one of the buildings
to museum use, including the recreation of a Victorian classroom on the first floor. Floors and staircase were carefully
upgraded to comply with fire regulations without compromising their rugged exposed construction. RGA have now
prepared a feasibility study for repair and conversion of the remainder of the buildings to extend the Museum and to
give it a sustainable future, which forms the basis for a funding application to the HLF.
Public Buildings
Brighton College
Sutton House, Hackney 1 Sutton House is the oldest house in East London, built By Sir Ralph Sadleir in 1535, with a rich history of alteration at every
period. The house was bought by the National Trust in the 1930’s and leased out. However, in 1982 the tenants departed,
squatters moved in and by 1987 the House was boarded up and derelict. Richard Griffiths Architects designed and executed
a plan for arts and educational uses, incorporating a concert hall, exhibition room, cafe/bar and shop, as well as a range of
historic rooms of various periods. The different layers of the house’s history are revealed by means of hinged panels, and
the conversion allows different layers of use – as historic house, education centre and function venue.
Eastbury Manor House, Barking 2Eastbury Manor House dates from around 1566 and is one of the finest Tudor merchants’ house in the country. It
is owned by the National Trust and leased by the London Borough of Barking. Richard Griffiths was first appointed
architect in 1990, and has master planned and overseen the complete transformation of the house and gardens
over the course of two successive projects funded by the HLF. The whole house has been repaired and made
accessible, and new services introduced to allow a wide range of range of use. The project included the creation
of a new oak clad stair turret on the site of the collapsed brick original.
Clissold House, Hackney 3 Clissold House is a lovely Grecian Doric villa of the 1790’s, in Clissold Park, one of London’s most heavily used
public parks. The house was derelict apart from a café in one of the rooms. With the assistance of Heritage Lottery
funding, the house has been restored, made fully accessible and converted to house a wide range of community
and function uses, including an enlarged and improved café that now opens to the park on two levels. The
immediate setting of the house has been transformed by new landscaping, as part of the wider improvements to the
surrounding park.
Burghley House, Stamford 4 Burghley House is one of the finest Elizabethan Prodigy House built by William Cecil (1520-98), Principal Secretary
and Lord Treasurer to Elizabeth I. RGA have created a new visitor centre and entrance pavilion in Capability Brown’s
Brewery Courtyard, with assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A steel- and oak-framed entrance pavilion
provides ticketing, display and education facilities, and leads to an audio-visual presentation, a Treasury display
gallery and a second education room in the listed Brewhouse.
30 Romford Road, Newham 5This delightful five bay clapboarded timber framed mid-Georgian house was in an advanced state of decay and
dereliction when saved by conversion to offices for the local museum service. The timber frame and panelling
were carefully repaired using traditional carpentry repairs, and the staircase was restored to its original form. A
new extension was provided to providing ancillary accommodation for the kitchen and other services required for
contemporary use. Electric radiant heating was fitted below the floor boards in conjunction with a high level of insulation
between the timber studs.
Historic Houses
Sutton House, Hackney
Southwark Cathedral 1 Richard Griffiths was Cathedral Architect from 1997 to 2012, overseeing a major programme of repairs and
upgrading to the Cathedral. The Millennium Project, opened by Nelson Mandela in 2001, involved the cleaning
and floodlighting of the external fabric of the Cathedral, the re-landscaping of the churchyard, and the design of
new buildings around a new courtyard giving visitors access to the Cathedral from the Thames Path. The buildings
contain a refectory, shop, education centre and a range of meeting and function rooms that provide a vital
source of income to support the wide range of services, concerts and activities promoted by the Cathedral.
St Albans Abbey 2Alban, a Roman centurian, became England’s first martyr in AD 250. The Abbey founded on the site of his martyrdom
became one of the most important in the country. The present building dates from 1077, with major additions
from later centuries. Richard Griffiths was appointed Cathedral Architect in 2000 and has guided all the works
to the Abbey over a 16 year period. He has been responsible for repairs to the 13th Century timber vaults to the
presbytery, the preservation of the Medieval wall paintings to the nave and south ambulatory, and the conservation
and repair of medieval stonework to the west porches and to the east end. He has also designed the reordering of
the nave sanctuary, the provision of full access inside and around the Abbey, the re-hanging of the bells, the re-
landscaping of the south churchyard, and major commissions for new stained glass windows and sculpture.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Kensington 3Richard Griffiths Architects were appointed in 2004 to clean and redecorate the interior of the Russian Orthodox
Cathedral in Ennismore Gardens. Built as an Anglican church in 1848-9 to the designs of Lewis Vullamy, it was
altered by Harrison Townsend in the 1890’s, and became the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the 1950’s. The
interior of the church was cleaned to remove the accumulation of years of candle soot, revealing the full
splendour of Heywood Sumner’s remarkable Arts and Crafts sgraffito decorations and gilded apse. The columns
were redecorated with rich porphyry marbling, and the walls repainted in a stone colour to provide a suitable
background to the icons. Meanwhile the nave was re-lit with magnificent copper and brass chandeliers.
St Nicholas Chapel, Kings Lynn 4This major project for the Churches Conservation Trust was carried out with HLF funding to allow much
greater interpretation, access and use of this magnificent late Gothic Chapel, the largest in England. The
roof was re-leaded, and the south-facing slopes fitted with the largest array of photo voltaic panels so far
erected on any church. Following the realization that conventional heating would be prohibitively expensive,
the decision was made to provide specially designed electric radiant heating and lighting chandeliers,
for which the PV’s provide power. The tower has been converted to provide kitchen and toilet facilities to
serve the wide range of possible uses of the church, including major choral and orchestral concerts.
St Paul’s Church, Hammersmith 5Although it was once in the centre of the old village of Hammersmith, this Grade II* listed church is now in the
middle of one of London’s busiest traffic gyratories. Richard Griffiths Architects were appointed in 2004
by competitive interview to design a major extension to provide accommodation for the remarkable wide
range of uses of this vibrant church. Taking advantage of the exposed site, the building has been designed
around a welcoming and embracing western atrium, in the tradition of the early Christian Church – for
example the first St Peter’s in Rome. Complex archaeological issues included the excavation and reinterment
of many Victorian burials. The project has been carefully designed to be sustainable, allowing a flexible use
of space, excellent thermal qualities, a sedum roof and heat exchange through the piles.
Churches and Cathedrals
Southwark Cathedral
St Pancras Hotel and Apartments
RegenerationSt Pancras Hotel and Apartments back cover, 1 Sir George Gilbert Scott’s Grand Midland Hotel, one of the most famous buildings of the 19th century. Opened in
1873, closed in 1933, and defeated all attempts at conversion for new uses – until the arrival of Eurostar once more
made hotel use possible. RGA were appointed as joint architects with RHWL to return the building to use as an
international Grand Hotel, with a new wing of 190 hotel bedrooms on Midland Road, and residential apartments on
the upper floors. RGA designed the major public areas of the hotel – including the main concourse, the lift lobby – and
the new wing, in a simplified version of Scott’s Gothic that masks a heroic engineering structure spanning the 30m
loading bay of the railway. The residential entrance reuses the original hotel entrance, and much of Scott’s architecture
in the flanking platform level rooms has been rediscovered and restored to its original decorative grandeur.
Kings Cross Granary Building 2At the centre of the Kings Cross Goods Yard is the noble Granary building, designed by Lewis Cubitt in 1851, now
converted by Stanton Williams for Central St Martin’s. RGA were appointed to oversee the repairs to the historic
fabric, including cleaning and repairing the brickwork of the elevations, taking care to retain the scars of time and the
ghosts of demolished buildings. The repairs also involved removing rusting butterfly ties that had burst the granite
parapets, repairing the external windows, remounting the loading bay doors inside the building, gently cleaning the
internal woodwork and lime washing the internal walls. We worked closely with Stanton Williams to install the new
services in a sympathetic manner under a floating floor, leaving the underside of the joists open to view.
Regent Quarter, King’s Cross 3 Richard Griffiths Architects were recommended by English Heritage to act as conservation and design consultants
to P&O Developments and RHWL Architects for the redevelopment of four urban blocks adjacent to King’s Cross
Station following the rejection of earlier proposals. The area contains a number of notable industrial buildings of the
1870’s, unlisted but in a Conservation Area, with interesting roof structures. The practice helped to devise the new
master plan for the refurbishment of all the significant buildings, while still meeting the commercial requirements of
P&O, as a focus for the regeneration of the local area. The proposals were warmly supported by the Islington Society,
who had previously been objectors.
Oxford Castle, Oxford 4 Closed in 1996, Oxford Prison stands on the site of the former Norman castle to the south of the city centre.
Working in conjunction with Alan Baxter & Associates, ADP and Dixon Jones Architects, the practice acted
as historic building and conservation consultants for the development of the 1.2 hectare site. The success in
turning the site, effectively inaccessible to the public for hundreds of years, into a major quarter, full of shops,
bars and restaurants, has been recognized by many major regeneration awards. Richard Griffiths Architects
acted as executive architects for the repair of the Saxon St George’s Tower, and for the provision of a viewing
platform on the roof, giving the best view of the domes, towers and spires of the Oxford skyline.
Lancaster Canal Corridor 5Richard Griffiths was asked by SAVE to prepare an alternative vision for the future of the Lancaster Canal Quarter,
reusing the Brewery and other unlisted buildings on the site which were then to be demolished. Subsequently the
proposals were turned down by the Secretary of State, the site was acquired by British Land, and we were appointed
as part of the design team with Chapman Taylor to prepare a new master plan for the site reusing wherever possible
the existing buildings of note. This exciting project will contribute to the regeneration of Lancaster, one our finest
historic cities, and create a revitalized mixed use quarter, building on the two existing theatres and other arts uses, as
well as providing new retail, bar, restaurant, residential and office uses.
Gardens and Landscapes
Gardens and Landscapes
Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire
Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire 1RGA have carried out for English Heritage a fascinating project to restore the Tudor garden where Lord Leicester
entertained Queen Elizabeth for 19 days in 1575. A letter written at the time describes a garden laid out in quarters
around a marble fountain, on axis with a two storey aviary, overlooked from a terrace in front of the keep, with classical
arbours at each end. The structures have been designed authentically with green oak frames, as advised by a panel
of experts, using evidence from archeological investigations, as well as from pattern books, prints, and construction
techniques of the period. The practice also converted Lord Leicester’s Tudor Stables in to an exhibition and café, and
designed a new ticket building and shop, a contemporary green oak-framed building following the tradition of timber
framed outbuildings that would have been characteristic of the site in medieval times.
Valentines Park, Redbridge 2 Valentines Mansion was acquired by the London Borough of Redbridge in order to create a public park. The Park
includes a remarkable late 18th century Rococo garden, with grottoes and other garden features, as well as a fine
municipal layout with boating lake, clock tower and horticultural displays. Working in conjunction with Land Use
Consultants, Richard Griffiths Architects secured funding of £1.2 Million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the repair
and restoration of the historic Rococo features and walled garden. The practice was also responsible for the external
repair of the house, and the creation of a new tea room in the former gardener’s house. The Mansion has been
restored by others on the basis of outline proposals carried out by ourselves.
The Georgian Group award 2010 for the restoration of a historic garden or landscape. Commended by the Landscape
Institute.
Southwark Cathedral 3 The Cathedral churchyard was redesigned to create a new paved entrance courtyard from the Thames Path to the
north, a new herb garden overlooked from London Bridge to the east, and a re-landscaped churchyard to the south,
with a straight path for commuters and a meandering path for visitors with new benches, trees and planting. A
new sculpture by Peter Randall-Page sits in the lawn to the south-east, commemorating Mahomet Weyonomon, a
Mohegan Indian who died while petitioning King George III for Indian Rights.
Moor Close Gardens, Berkshire 4Moor Close Gardens were designed by Oliver Hill in 1910 and have formed part of Newbold College grounds since
1945. Richard Griffiths Architects have prepared a Condition Survey and Schedule of Repairs for the structures in
the gardens to complement a conservation plan and a planting strategy by others. The survey was funded by English
Heritage and the College, who open the garden to the public and are committed to its phased restoration. Repairs
have now been completed to the gazebos that were badly damaged by a tree that fell on top them in a storm.
Savoy Chapel, Strand 5The brief from the Duchy of Cornwall was for the improvement and re-landscaping of the Savoy Chapel in conjunction
with a major development on the adjoining land. The vestries were re-roofed with copper roofs and the churchyard
re-landscaped in association with Elizabeth Banks Associates, to form an oval lawn, path and stone border carved
with an inscription recording the reopening by Her Majesty the Queen, patron of the chapel. The oval lawn and path
are flanked by two stone borders, one level with the grass, the other sloping with the path, meeting tangentially on
the centre line like armillary spheres.
Practice Profile
Richard Griffiths Architects give new life to old buildings, conserving them to reveal the heritage of the past, and adapting them to enrich the present and the future.
Practice overviewUnder the direction of Richard Griffiths, the practice has established a leading reputation for the repair and creative
adaptation of historic buildings to accommodate new or extended uses, and for the design of new buildings that
respond sensitively to their historic context. The practice is especially noted for its approach to the layering of historic
buildings, revealing and celebrating the various historic layers, and adding a distinctive new layer to serve present
and future needs in a holistic and sustainable manner. The practice carries out work in all aspects of the historic
environment, including the preparation of Condition Surveys, Conservation Plans and Development Plans, and has an
excellent record of obtaining grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other major funders. 25 years’ experience
in managing conservation projects, accreditation in architectural conservation (AABC), and certification under
ISO9001 and 14001, ensure that the highest of standards of quality, time and cost control are maintained at all times.
Historic buildingsRichard Griffiths Architects have worked for English Heritage, the National Trust and Local Authorities in developing
schemes to give historic buildings a sustainable future, economically, socially and environmentally, by carrying out
repairs and alterations to allow wider public access, use and enjoyment by the local and wider communities. This
includes a number of historic houses in public parks, most notably Clissold House, Stoke Newington, restored with
HLF funding.
Ecclesiastical workThe practice has established a strong reputation for ecclesiastical work, and has been responsible for several major
churches and cathedrals, including Southwark Cathedral and St Albans Abbey, where Richard Griffiths has been
Cathedral Architect for 15 years. The practice has acquired specialist expertise in adapting churches to allow
extended uses, involving the resolution of complicated issues of access, fire protection, heating, lighting, and the
provision of ancillary visitor and parish facilities.
Working in partnershipThe practice has collaborated with other major architectural practices in the preparation of complex schemes for
the conversion of historic buildings to new uses, and in the regeneration of historic areas, including Oxford Castle,
the King’s Cross Regent Quarter, and the St Pancras Hotel. The practice regularly carries out consultancy to other
practices in obtaining consent for major projects to sensitive historic buildings, including the Holburne Museum,
Bath, the Whitechapel Art Gallery and Exeter College, Oxford.
Contemporary design in historic contextsThe new design work of the practice, whether employing the local language of materials or a contrasting contemporary
language, relies on an appropriate and sensitive use of materials and technology. In all its work, Richard Griffiths
Architects remain true to the creation of a timeless architecture, in which style derives from materials, use and
construction rather than from the whims of fashion.
AwardsAAAAAwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrddddddddddddddssssssssssssssBlackpool Central LibraryRICS Award North West
Burghley House, StamfordLABC Award for Best Commercial Project
Dagenham Civic CentreGreen Apple Awards Nomination
Freston TowerCivic Trust Award Commendation
RIBA Conservation Awards Commendation
Fulham IslandBuilding for Life Silver Commendation
Kenilworth CastleWarwick District Council Design Award
Civic Trust Awards Special Mention
The Wood Awards Highly Commended
Kings Cross Central St Martins RIBA Award 2012
Kings Cross Regent QuarterIslington Society Award for Architecture
and Conservation
Lambeth Palace Courtyard and CryptCivic Trust Awards Commendation
RFAC Building of the Year Shortlist
Oxford CastleRICS Awards Project of the Year
RIBA South Award
Civic Trust Outstanding Centre Vision Award
Best Hotel & Leisure Project Award
RICS South East Best Regeneration Scheme
Mail on Sunday Mixed Use Development
MIPIM Best Hotel and Leisure Project
Oxford Preservation Trust Award
Southwark Cathedral Millennium ProjectRIBA Award
ADAPT Trust Access Award Shortlist
Civic Trust Awards Commendation
Stone Federation Awards Commendation
Tylers and Bricklayers Special Award
Guild of Architectural Ironmongers Award
National Stone Craft Awards Commendation
Natural Stone Awards Commendation
GAI Ironmongery Awards Joint Winner
Landscape Institute 75th Anniversary Award
Sutton House, HackneyCivic Trust Award
Europa Nostra Award
Interpret Britain Award
St Albans AbbeySt Albans Civic Society Award
St Pancras HotelRIBA Award
RIBA London and English Heritage Best Building in a Historic
Context
BDA Awards Best Architectural Achievement
Brick Awards Finalist for Best Refurbishment
Leaf Awards 2011. Interior Design Award
European Hospitality Awards Hotel of the Year
Tylers and Bricklayers Award Commendation
Gyproc Trophy National Award
LPA Historic Building Management Award
LABC Best Commercial Development Award
RIBA London Conservation Award shortlist
St Paul’s Church, HammersmithRIBA Award
The Barn, Rawstorne PlaceLB Islington Award for Good Conservation
30 Romford Road, E15Civic Trust Awards Commendation
Mansell Refurbishment Commendation
London Electricity Energy Efficiency Award
Valentine’s Park Georgian Group Award
Landscape Institute Commendation
Valentines Park, LB RedbridgeGeorgian Group Award for the Restoration of a Georgian
Garden or Landscape