The Old Granary

The refurbishment and residential conversion of a Grade II listed granary building into six apartments with provision for a ground floor cafe / restaurant in Barking, London.

The granary was built in 1870 and was once at the heart of a thriving industrial port along the River Roding. It is the only remaining part of the once larger mill. When the granary ceased to function as production / processing methods evolved the building was no longer contributing to the life of Town Quay and the wider area. It was appropriated as a warehouse for a local stationary suppliers and remained as such for over 30 years. As a tall building with a narrow floor plate it was impractical for storage and it was during this time when deterioration took hold and it fell into a state of disrepair. Our approach to the previously neglected building was one of sensitive restoration and reinvention. We conceived of the proposed interior additions as lighter elements sitting within the heavy masonry envelope treating our proposals as the next layer of history respectful of its past utilitarian elegance. There were a large number of considerations especially as the granary was the only piece of heritage within the wider Town Quay masterplan. We set out by working closely with the Local Authority, the Port of London Authority, engineers and heritage consultants to get a full understanding of the parameters for design. The scheme looked to enhance the historical features of note through sensitive intervention.