Walworth Town Hall

Built

The Grade II listed Walworth Town Hall was sensitively refurbished, bringing it back to life, after a 2013 fire placed it on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register.

Walworth Town Hall, a Grade II-listed former civic building in Southwark, has been sensitively restored by Feix & Merlin and General Projects, in collaboration with Southwark Council, following severe fire damage in 2013. After the fire, the building was added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register, a poignant turning point that underscored the need for urgent, considered intervention.

The project sets a benchmark for heritage-led regeneration and adaptive reuse that honours architectural legacy while enabling meaningful new uses. Whilst a handful of spaces were restored in a scholarly way, meticulously restoring historic features, including plasterwork, tiling and timber panelling, the ‘light-touch’ approach in the majority of spaces, rather than erasing the past, retained and celebrated the historic fabric as found, with fire-scarred elements left visible enabling visitors to experience the building’s rich narrative, its scars telling a story of resilience and transformation

A new entrance sequence and publically accessible ground floor, reimagined council chamber with a new exposed timber roof structure and vastly improved accessible circulation routes now integrate seamlessly into the historic structure.

Balancing conservation with adaptive reuse, Walworth Town Hall now includes over 550 flexible workspaces and public-facing amenities: a café, restaurant and a community centre run by the community for the community.
Community consultation was central to the design process. Input from over 500 local participants, gathered through workshops, round table discussions, surveys and events, shaped how the public spaces would function and feel. As an LGBTQ+ led practice, Feix & Merlin brought a deep commitment to inclusive, welcoming design.

The result is a scheme that embraces both heritage and progress in a carefully balanced refurbishment, ensuring Walworth Town Hall remains a vital and inspiring hub and continues to serve Southwark’s diverse communities for generations to come.

NLA Awards 2025

CONVERSATION & HERITAGE WINNER

HOUSING WINNER

Supported by the Mayor of London, the NLA Awards celebrate all scale of projects, from community-led to large-scale mixed-use developments, both built and unbuilt, that contribute to the creation of a more sustainable, civilised, and egalitarian London.

NLA Awards 2025

COMMENDED - WORKPLACES CATEGORY

Supported by the Mayor of London, the NLA Awards celebrate all scale of projects, from community-led to large-scale mixed-use developments, both built and unbuilt, that contribute to the creation of a more sustainable, civilised, and egalitarian London.

Project information

Status

Built

Borough

Southwark

Completion

2025

Team Credits

Architect and Executive Architect

Feix&Merlin

Client

General Projects