Tower Hamlets Town Hall

Whitechapel’s old Royal London Hospital building forms part of the new Tower Hamlets Town Hall. Built in 1757, the grade II listed building had famous former occupants including Joseph Merrick and Edith Cavell.

Architects AHMM designed the project, which includes an impressive 6-level office extension accommodating nearly 2500 office staff. A new council chamber and other meeting facilities are located on the ground level.

On the building’s opening, Lutfur Rahman, the Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets said “with so many stories to tell, this is a building which has served local people for centuries and will now continue to do so as the new, permanent, and more accessible town hall for Tower Hamlets. It’s a town hall proven to stand the test of time and one we can take great pride in”.

Atelier Ten was responsible for the lighting design within the building. This was part of the Mechanical Electrical Plumbing (MEP) design where “the aim was to balance the competing demands of function, comfort and energy use by selecting systems that are effective and efficient”.

Custom slender cylindrical LED pendants suspended within the central atrium contribute to the visual cohesion of the space, drawing attention to the higher level and the volume of the atrium. The pendants offer a clear presence without being dominant.

Similarly, custom wall-mounted luminaires within the old chapel area add another lower layer of illumination without detracting from the space.

Throughout the circulation and breakout spaces within the building, the Hadis cylindrical downlights were used in both surface-mounted and suspended forms. Finished in black, these offered a stylish and efficient means of illumination with a wide beam optic and DALI dimmable drivers.

Similarly, the Hemer downlights were selected to illuminate the interview and family rooms efficiently.