Project 2 - Old Billingsgate: On Display

Professor Amber Bartosh 2022

In Collaboration with Aiden McGorry and Lucas Rossington

This project involves the preservation and presentation of the iconic riverside facade of Old Billingsgate Market, a historic site located in the heart of London, is the central focus of this architectural project. Despite the building’s transformation into an events venue, its Victorian style facade remains unaltered, a valuable piece of London’s history deserving recognition and preservation.

The design proposes a structure that originates in the basement and grows from the vaulted spaces while carrying a heavy language. As the structure rises, it transforms into a lighter form and creates a large cantilever to float the facade, preserving the openness and public space of the pier. The structure is designed to allow visitors to appreciate the Victorian style facade as a work of art and understand its framework and history.

The basement has been imagined as a restaurant/bar that embodies the aesthetic of the vaulted spaces, and an elevated platform serves as a bar and seating area. The project also aims to capture a piece of the plaza and protect it from potential sea level rise.