The first project of the famous English engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel has been reinvented as a performance space for the Brunel Museum. The shaft, transformed into a Grand Entrance Hall to the institution, comes to life thanks to the project of Harmer Tate 190 years after the beginning of its construction.

Tate Harmer's intervention enables the space for public use by implementing a monumental cantilevered staircase which stands independantly of the historical structural fabrics. The English practice has also designed a new entrance to the interior. The shaft, which is 15 m wide and deep, provides a raw background atmosphere for future events and actions that will take place in the renovated space.

This project seeks to educate both locals and visitors on London's industrial legacy, especially the one related to Isambard Kingdom Brunel, engineer of the Thames Tunnel. This structure, inaugurated in 1843 is one of the first underwater tunnels in the world and the genesis of the current subway system.

Jerry Tate, Partner of Tate Harmer said: "It was vital that the staircase and new entrance to the Rotherhithe shaft did not impact on its historical significance. We wanted to celebrate the raw nature of the Victorian industrial heritage while providing the public proper access for tours and performances."
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Architects
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Tate Harmer Studio
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Client
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The Brunel Museum
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Timescale
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Completed March 2016
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Area
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120 m²
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Venue
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London, UK
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Tate Harmer is an international architecture practice based in East London, specialising in healthy, sustainable designs that work with nature. Founded by Jerry Tate and Rory Harmer in 2007, the practice works on residential, cultural and leisure projects that require innovative construction methods in some of the most sensitive natural and historic contexts. They strive to create low-energy, low impact projects with the highest design standards carefully integrated into local communities. Their award-winning work has been published and exhibited around the world, demonstrating that our architecture has both a local and global context.
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