The birthplace of the British bobby, Bow Street’s famous police station in London, could be redeveloped as offices and a museum.
Developer Salmon Harvester and Bow Street Partners – a jv between London Police Education and Lewes-based agent Andrew Thorburn – have submitted proposals to English Heritage and Westminster council to extend the property from 2,930 sq m (31,539 sq ft) to 4,876 sq m (52,486 sq ft).
The lower part of the building will become a museum of policing – provisionally called The Beat – complete with mock-up cells, while the upper floors will be prelet as offices.
The extension, at the rear of the building, will be in stark contrast with the old station. James Datham of Jestico & Whiles, architect for the project, said: “We haven’t tried to imitate the style of the old building. We’ve got a very contemporary design – a glass and steel frame on top of a lower level of brick.”
Timothy Jones, English Heritage inspector of Historic Buildings for Westminster, said: “What we are concerned by is the proposed degree of demolition to the original building – such as the loss of internal walls, staircases and proposals to knock down the back wall of the lower elevation. But I’m reasonably certain that we can come to an agreement. After all, it does, in a way, carry on the association of the original use of the building.”
Andrew Thorburn said that the London Police Education attraction would be run by Heritage Partnerships, who run the Jorvik Viking Centre in York.
Bow Street Police Station was the birthplace of London’s first organised police force, the Bow Street Runners, set up by Henry Fielding, the author of Tom Jones, in 1750. The Runners were finally replaced by Robert Peel’s Metropolitan police force in 1829.
EGi News 31/05/01
