The Canal Building by Child Graddon Lewis

The Canal Building in Islington, north London, was presented at the AT Awards live finals on 20 September 2023 to a jury comprising Simon Allford, Esther Robinson Wild, Ed Jarvis, Amin Taha, Patrick Bellew, and Chair Lee Mallett. Read about how the project has stood the test of time.

Completed
2000

The Canal Building in Islington, north London, is a landmark retrofit project by Child Graddon Lewis. Located on Regent’s Canal, mid-way between Angel and Old Street, the existing structure – a 1930 Art Deco warehouse – had fallen onto disrepair and become abandoned. The scheme, which comprises 35 apartments, 45 live/work units, and 1,100-square-metres of commercial space, has not only breathed new life into a historically important building, but also been a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the canalside area.

Due to its poor condition, the warehouse was stripped back to the frame and remedial works carried out prior to recladding with highly insulated rendered panels and double-glazed steel windows. A new floor was constructed at roof level, with infills incorporated within the design to create additional floorspace.

Credit: Alan Williams

The introduction of three new internal cores avoided the need for long corridors, creating more intimate communal areas outside the live/work units. This approach also gives each unit its own ‘identity’, which is reinforced through different colour schemes. The residential units were sold as shells, with the original buyers fitting-out the spaces to their own specification.

By encouraging modern day working and social practices to flourish, the building has once again integrated itself within the local community, promoting a ‘street’ atmosphere as a focal point for the area. The positive impact that the scheme has had on the surrounding area is perhaps best summed up by resident and artist John Kaine, “You could sense a change in the area when we all started moving in. Replacing drugs and abandoned cars, local businesses, cafes and bars all started popping up. You honestly felt the community spirit.”