Billingsgate Market, London Architecture, Richard Rogers Building, Lower Thames Street

Billingsgate Market : Building

Historic Architecture in City of London, England, UK – design by Richard Rogers

23 Jun 2007

Billingsgate Securities Market

Location: 16 Lower Thames Street, City of London

Dates built: 1985-88

Design: Richard Rogers Partnership

Approximate building construction cost: £20m

picture © Adrian Welch

Original building:

Billingsgate Fish Market
Date built: 1875
Design: Architect Horace Jones
Status: Grade II listed

picture © Adrian Welch

In its original location in the 19th century, Billingsgate was the largest fish market in the world.

Billingsgate Securities Market architects : Richard Rogers Partnership

In 1850, the market according to Horace Jones, “consisted only of shed buildings … The open space on the north of the well-remembered Billingsgate Dock was dotted with low booths and sheds, with a range of wooden houses with a piazza in front on the west, which served the salesmen and fishmongers as shelter, and for the purposes of carrying on their trade.” In that year the market was rebuilt to a design by J.B. Bunning, the City architect.

Bunning’s buildings was soon found to be insufficient for the increased trade, and in 1872 the Corporation obtained an Act to rebuild and enlarge the market, which was done to plans by Bunning’s successor as City architect Sir Horace Jones. The new site covered almost twice the area of the old, incorporating Billingsgate Stairs and Wharf and Darkhouse Lane. Work began in 1874, and the new market was opened in 1877. The new Italianate style buildings had on their long frontages towards Thames Street the river, a pedimented centre and continuous arcade, flanked at each end by a pavilion tavern.

The general market, on a level with Thames Street, had an area of about 30,000 sqft, and was covered with louvre glass roofs, 43 feet high at the ridge. A gallery 30 feet wide was allocated to the sale of dried fish, while the basement, served as a market for shellfish.
Source: wikipedia

Buildings for the City of London Architecture pages welcome: info(at)e-architect.com

Location: 16 Lower Thames Street, London, England, UK