Somerset House is a Grade I listed building of exceptional cultural and architectural importance in central London, originally built as public offices for the Government in the final part of the eighteenth century, the East Wing is a substantial part of this building. The long-term government use ceased in March when HMRC vacated the building.
KCL has taken a lease for the majority of the building for educational use of over 6,000 sqm. This does not include the ground floor, which will be opened to the public by Somerset House Trust, on whose applications we have also advised.
KCL requires East Wing to be able to accommodate various disciplines and allow for a variety of teaching options by start of academic year 2011.
The refurbishment and enhancement of East Wing includes the integration of innovative new sustainability measures which respect the original fabric of the building. One example is the ventilation strategy which uses the existing chimney flues, lightwells and roof lanterns to
provide ventilation throughout the building. The scheme is seeking to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘excellent’.
The proposals will also introduce modern new access bridges to the King’s College Quadrangle, substantially increasing connectivity between the Somerset House Fountain Court and King’s College Quadrangle and Strand Campus.
Gerald Eve LLP has worked closely with the client and team to develop the overall planning strategy within the timeframes set and have led a comprehensive series of pre-application meetings with Westminster City Council and English Heritage to gain their support for the scheme principles. Applications for planning permission and listed building consent were submitted to WCC in October 2009 and were granted in February 2010.