A rare look inside Custom House as its next chapter begins
Elliott Wood was pleased to co-sponsor Custom House: Constraints + Collaboration = Creativity on Thursday 6 August, a Festival of Hospitality event offering a rare look inside one of London’s most significant Grade I-listed buildings before its transformation into a new hospitality destination.
Held within Custom House itself, the event brought together members of the project team to discuss how heritage, planning and technical constraints have helped shape a more meaningful, accessible and commercially viable future for the building. Jastar Capital also spoke about its role as steward of Custom House: respecting the history and significance of the building while securing a relevant, welcoming and enduring future for its next chapter.
Collaboration has been fundamental to that process from the outset, bringing together the client, planning authorities, heritage bodies, design team and wider project partners to balance conservation, access, viability and delivery.
Guests explored the building ahead of the next phase of works, with Elliott Wood Associate Director Adam Smith and Associate Andreas Papadogiannakis leading tours alongside other members of the design team.
The tours provided an opportunity to experience Custom House’s historic spaces and understand some of the engineering challenges behind its proposed renewal as a 179-bedroom hotel, event venue and publicly accessible riverside destination.
Our structural and civil engineering teams supported the development of the design through RIBA Stage 2 and the planning process. As the project moves into delivery and work begins on site, we are continuing to collaborate with Jastar Capital, Orms and the wider project team to develop and coordinate the design, helping turn the consented proposals into carefully considered, buildable interventions.
Engineered by Elliott Wood
Opening the building to the Thames
One of the most important elements was the development of the flood-defence strategy. Elliott Wood’s structural and civil engineers worked together, and in consultation with the Environment Agency, to establish an approach that protects the building while enabling the proposed riverside terrace to remain open and accessible.
This was a critical enabler for the scheme. Rather than creating an exclusive waterfront serving only the hotel, the proposals open up approximately 2,880 sq m of public quayside across 160 metres of Thames frontage. A new route through King’s Warehouse will further reconnect the building with the river and the surrounding City.
Unlocking access below ground
Below ground, we developed the engineering strategy for a substantial new basement accommodating a car lift.
Carefully integrated within the constrained historic site, this intervention supports the access and servicing requirements needed to make the wider development viable, while limiting its impact on the listed building and public realm.
Working with the historic fabric
Throughout the design, our work has involved understanding how Custom House was originally constructed, how it has changed over time and where its existing structure can accommodate further adaptation.
This knowledge has helped the team develop sensitive interventions that protect the building’s most important heritage fabric while allowing it to support a new and more publicly accessible use.
