Office S&M has given the Nag’s Head Market in Seven Sisters, North London, a new lease of life, adding a mezzanine level, creating new routes through and improving spaces for traders.

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Jim Stephenson

“In markets, location is everything,” said Office S&M director Hugh McEwen, speaking to Architecture Today. “This meant that as we discussed needs with traders, it became clear that the current routes through the market were not working for all traders.”

After working on the project six years, the London studio has significantly improved entrances to the market, in particular, its rear elevation on Herslet Road which had previously been ignored and mostly seen as a ‘back door’. As a result, sellers located here got a rough deal, however, now, improved circulation means this area receives better footfall.

The improved entrance on Herslet Road means this part of the market is no longer seen as just a back door.

Located on Seven Sisters Road, found off Holloway Road and just a stone’s throw away from Arsenal FC’s Emirate’s stadium, Nag’s Head Market has occupied the bustling site since 1992. In much need of a facelift, Office S&M has adorned both entrances with marquee lighting – literally putting the market’s name up in lights and drastically enhancing the market’s street presence. Here, the yellow lettering has been set against a turquoise background, drawing on the colour palette of the (formerly LCC Holloway) fire brigade station opposite.

Both entrances have been decluttered, too, easing circulation into the market, a move which is aided by new signposting from Seven Sisters Road and Herslet Road.

Inside, new stairs by the Herslet Road entrance and another staircase deep in the market work to create a better flow through the space and past trader’s stalls.

The most significant architectural move inside, though, is the creation of a new 600-square-metre mezzanine level. This new floor offers 17 units for traders, as well as 13 kitchens and four retail spaces, of which form part of the market’s new street food hall known as The Upper Place.

With the increased footfall, Office S&M specified terrazzo tiles on the existing ground floor to aid durability and minimise maintenance costs. Durbar grip pattern stainless steel flooring, meanwhile, has been used for the mezzanine for much the same effect, also reinforcing the market’s industrial aesthetic defined by its steel framework.

The market can also be easily adapted for future uses now as well. New, larger kitchen units can be subdivided with stud walls to provide smaller units, while smaller units can, conversely, be combined to form larger units by removing the stud walls.

“Markets are endlessly work in progress, so the next planned works are to renovate the public toilets on the ground floor to enable wider use,” added McEwen. “In the meantime, our involvement with the market continues by supporting traders directly by buying from them, for example sponsoring a Christmas networking event in the market, hosting breakfast tours, and showcasing the market during Open House London and social media posts. As Onur and Dave say in the film we made [see below], the market is more like a family!”

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