Perronet Garages, London Borough of Southwark Elephant Arcade provided 11 retail units which will soon be home to a diverse range of small businesses, along with a cafe space.
The existing unassuming brick frontage will be opened up with windows, entrances, greenery and seating, transforming a blank corner under the podium into a public-facing community asset. Inside, robust materials such as Georgian wired glass, corrugated fibre cement and OSB echo the hardy language of concrete, metal and glass found in Perronet House above.
The straightforward plan is informed by the existing grid of concrete beams and columns, dividing the floor into two parallel rows of units connected by a generous arcade. We worked closely with the renowned Carl Turner Architects to provide 11 new shops and a cafe could be created at the Elephant & Castle junction in proposals to convert garage space below Perronet House.
New retail space has been offered to 36 businesses set to be displaced from the Elephant & Castle shopping centre and market. We converted 12 un-used parking spaces in the closed southern garage area into 11 retail units with an entrance to the retail space would be from the east side diagonally opposite the Bakerloo line station.
The objectives of the project are:
• Provide local convenience shops for local residents
• Provide affordable space for local independent businesses
• Improve the street frontage and natural surveillance around the southern base of Perronet House to reduce anti-social behaviour and rough sleeping.
” Finding spaces for the remaining businesses was a priority. I’m delighted the council has been able to provide the new units at Perronet House and it’s good to see Delancey allocating affordable units to shopping centre traders too.”
Councillor Kieron Williams, Southwark’s Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Innovation
“We had a tight programme for a technically challenging project and BRAC Contracts managed the project from start to finish meeting our deadlines and delivering an excellent end result. It was an enjoyable experience working with such professionals”.
Paul Holliday – Queensmead School
SPACE have contracted BRAC on a number of occasions, they are a pleasure to work with , highly professional, they care about the detail and offer a value for money service. The BRAC team have a positive, can-do attitude and find solutions to any challenge. We recommend them highly.
Anna Harding – Chief Executive SPACE
The quality of the works undertaken by BRAC for the new Woolwich Ferry Operations office has been most impressive, as has been the efforts by all the construction team to ensure an on schedule and on budget completion.
Mark Willbourn – Briggs Marine Contractors Ltd