Market Building, Syon Estate

Adjacent to the site of the Syon Clocktower and Cafe in the Syon Estate in Brentford, is the Market Building. This was an existing, unlisted structure in nestled in the courtyard of the Grade II listed stables. Previously used for aquarium storage and then office accom­mod­ation, the mid century building was out of use, worse-for-wear and a distracting element from its historic context.

We provided a proposal to renovate and restore the stables at ground floor level, add a glazed link to the nearby Market Building and reimagine the octagonal structure as a retail space. We were keen to retain as much of the existing timber structure and roof as possible, whilst increasing its footprint and improving its thermal performance, internal spatial qualities and external presentation.

To do this, we proposed to strip out all internal finishes and partitions, as well as the facades and push the envelope of the building to the outer limit of the retained roof. The new walls were timber clad with thermally treated, fast-growing hardwood Poplar and suitably insulated, with returns back to the original timber columns, allowing slot windows to punctuate the elevations. The removal of the suspended ceiling and insulation of the roof have allowed the rooflight to illuminate the space and create a more impactful, comfortable space within.

In doing so, we have been able to create a new income generating space on the site without comprom­ising historic fabric, without requiring a completely new building or wasteful demolition of sound structure; increasing usable space without increasing footprint, all whilst improving present­ation of the site.

The result is a new commercial space which compliments and accentuates the inherent archi­tec­tural value of the site whilst ensuring its longevity and sustain­ab­ility. As with the recent Coach House glazing works, the glazed link to the listed fabric is of non-reflective glass and is demountable from the stable block – allowing any future removal to leave no damage or trace on the historic fabric.