Love Bethnal Green was recently invited by Sharon Nicholls from the developer St. William (part of the Berkeley Group) to visit the Marian Place gasholders site, near Broadway Market. We were given a tour by Project Director Brian Maynard, who talked to us about what they aim to do, the engineering challenges, and the responsive innovations that have been years in the making. We want to share with you an inside look at what we saw and all that we learned from this visit.
We look forward to being invited again as development continues so we can continue to bring you updates. In the meantime, we’ve included their most recent newsletter at the end of the post.
Years of dedication and planning have gone into how to carefully preserve the two gasholders on site. Gasholder #2, built with cast and wrought iron, is the smaller of the two structures. With its large bolts and concentric design, engineers have planned an intricate and careful process of deconstructing and transporting the pieces off-site for restoration. To stabilize the structure as it is taken apart piece by piece, scaffolding has been specially designed to gently brace the columns. Working with Shepley Engineers, who recently finished a restoration project of Big Ben, each piece will be taken to Sheffield. There the paint will be removed, and each piece will be sealed and brought back to be reconstructed. Brian Maynard, Project Director, says they will then be ready for the next 200 or more years of life.
Gasholder #5, reaching over 146 ft (44.5m) tall with its riveted and latticed design, also poses unique challenges to preserve. Dismantling the structure would compromise its stability, so it is being carefully restored in place. It will be restored by a company that will use a closed-loop process that recycles the paint that comes off the structures, reducing the amount of waste produced. This process will create a stronger and safer structure.
Ultimately, we were impressed by the intricate process each step entails and how carefully and innovatively it has been planned out. While public opinion varies about the development, we hope to continue providing insight into the process and share what we learn from the folks at St. William. Look out for part two of our series in the coming weeks, which will highlight engagement with the site throughout history up to today, posing questions and opportunities for renewed participation in the future.
If you have more queries about the process to refurbish the gasholders email the local team at bethnalgreen.enquiries@stwilliam.co.uk
