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Tower Hamlets Council marked the next stage of building works to transform one of London’s most famous buildings into a new town hall by capturing a moment in time in its foundations.
On Friday 20 September, a time capsule was deposited inside the former Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel to mark the significance of the council’s ambitious project and to leave a message for a future generation.
The Grade II-listed building, which dates back to 1752, was once a bustling health facility where generations of east Londoners were born and cared for. It was home to the famous ‘elephant man’ until his death in 1890 as well as the birthplace of modern heart surgery. It also played a major role in treating the wounded of both world wars.
But since the new Royal London Hospital opened in 2012, the original building had stood empty and was at risk of falling into ruin and disrepair. Now the council is giving the site a new lease of life by transforming it into a town hall that will again serve the residents of the borough for many years to come.
John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “Marking this moment in this way is key as we play our part in making use of this historic building for future generations to enjoy. It is an integral part of London’s past and now it can be an important part of its future too.
“At its core, the new town hall will be a space for the whole community – a place to get things done quickly with council, housing and health services delivered under one roof. We’ll have café facilities, a library, free Wi-Fi, meeting rooms and spaces for the public in one of the best connected sites in London.
“This is one of the most significant building regeneration projects in the capital and we’re proud to be taking it forward.”
The time capsule included: a letter signed by representatives from Tower Hamlets Council, architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris and construction firm Bouygues UK; a collection of historic photos showing the hospital through the years – reproduced with the generous permission of Barts Health NHS Trust Archives; and letters penned by children who attend nearby Kobi Nazrul Primary School and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School.
Plans for Whitechapel
Opening in 2022, the new town hall will take its place at the heart of Whitechapel. It’s a part of London that is seeing significant regeneration including the improvements to the historic Whitechapel market and a new £300 million life sciences campus.
The new building will make full use of its location in the most accessible part of Tower Hamlets. Situated next to the new transport hub in Whitechapel, it will also be served by four different train and tube lines including the new Crossrail alongside well-used bus and cycle routes.
Teams that are currently based in other buildings will be moved into the new town hall alongside staff from organisations including Tower Hamlets Homes and the Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group.
It is estimated that the cost of this project will be in the region of £115 million. Some £78 million of that is being recouped from the sale of old council buildings that will no longer be needed once staff have moved.
After eight years, the council expects to be saving public money compared to current arrangements as it will no longer be paying the £5 million a year it costs to rent its existing offices at Mulberry Place.
