Stockwell Garage is a large bus garage in Stockwell, in the London Borough of Lambeth, which opened in April 1952.[1] At the time of construction it was Europe's largest unsupported roof span. The garage provides 73,350 sq ft (6,814 m2) of unobstructed parking space and could originally house 200 buses, required at a time when the last trams were being replaced by buses.[2]
A panoramic view of the interior of Stockwell GarageExternal view of the northwest corner of the garage, on Lansdowne Way (left) and Binfield Road (right)Gable end to Binfield Road to the westEntrance from Binfield Road to the south, past brick offices
On a cursory view of the exterior, the bus garage is typical of much of the architecture built in the post war reconstruction period in London around the Festival of Britain. There was a steel shortage at the time, so concrete was used for the roof structure instead of the steel girder structure that had previously been the norm. At Stockwell, the opportunity was taken to create a bravura piece of reinforced concrete design, building on a formerly residential site cleared by the Blitz. It is a few hundred metres to the northwest of Stockwell Underground station.
The garage was designed by Adie, Button and Partners, with Thomas Bilbow, who was architect to the London Transport Executive, and the structural engineer from the firm of Alfred Edward Beer. The main contractor was Wilson Lovatt & Sons. The 393 ft (120 m) long roof structure is supported by ten very shallow "two-hinged" arched ribs. Each is 7 ft (2.1 m) deep at the centre of the arch, 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) at the end, and spans 194 ft (59 m). The 42 ft (13 m) gap between each pair of ribs is spanned by a cantilevered barrel vault topped by large skylights. The vaults are crossed by smaller ribs to prevent torsion. Seen from the outside, the main arches are visible as outward-leaning buttresses, with a segmental curve to each bay forming a flowing roof line. The buttresses and ribs were cast in situ in sections, using the same reusable formwork. The bed of the subterraneanRiver Effra was found to pass through the site during construction, which necessitated deeper foundations for the supporting concrete buttresses.
Three of the nine bays to Lansdowne Way to the north – the central bay and two end bays – have large double folding doors to permit access; other bays are glazed with twenty vertical lights. Each bay has segmental toplights with central louvres for ventilation. The gable ends are also glazed with vertical lights, with folding doors to Binfield Road to the west. The site also houses inspection pits, offices, and a canteen in one- and two-storey brick buildings filling the angle as Binfield Road turn past to the south.
Historyedit
Since 1988 the garage has been a Grade II* listed building, reflecting its importance in post-war architectural and engineering history.[1] It is coded "SW" by Transport for London. The writer Will Self has called the garage "the most important building in London".[3]
stockwell, garage, large, garage, stockwell, london, borough, lambeth, which, opened, april, 1952, time, construction, europe, largest, unsupported, roof, span, garage, provides, unobstructed, parking, space, could, originally, house, buses, required, time, wh. Stockwell Garage is a large bus garage in Stockwell in the London Borough of Lambeth which opened in April 1952 1 At the time of construction it was Europe s largest unsupported roof span The garage provides 73 350 sq ft 6 814 m2 of unobstructed parking space and could originally house 200 buses required at a time when the last trams were being replaced by buses 2 A panoramic view of the interior of Stockwell Garage External view of the northwest corner of the garage on Lansdowne Way left and Binfield Road right Gable end to Binfield Road to the west Entrance from Binfield Road to the south past brick offices Contents 1 Architecture 2 History 3 Bus routes operated 4 References 5 External linksArchitecture editOn a cursory view of the exterior the bus garage is typical of much of the architecture built in the post war reconstruction period in London around the Festival of Britain There was a steel shortage at the time so concrete was used for the roof structure instead of the steel girder structure that had previously been the norm At Stockwell the opportunity was taken to create a bravura piece of reinforced concrete design building on a formerly residential site cleared by the Blitz It is a few hundred metres to the northwest of Stockwell Underground station The garage was designed by Adie Button and Partners with Thomas Bilbow who was architect to the London Transport Executive and the structural engineer from the firm of Alfred Edward Beer The main contractor was Wilson Lovatt amp Sons The 393 ft 120 m long roof structure is supported by ten very shallow two hinged arched ribs Each is 7 ft 2 1 m deep at the centre of the arch 10 ft 6 in 3 20 m at the end and spans 194 ft 59 m The 42 ft 13 m gap between each pair of ribs is spanned by a cantilevered barrel vault topped by large skylights The vaults are crossed by smaller ribs to prevent torsion Seen from the outside the main arches are visible as outward leaning buttresses with a segmental curve to each bay forming a flowing roof line The buttresses and ribs were cast in situ in sections using the same reusable formwork The bed of the subterranean River Effra was found to pass through the site during construction which necessitated deeper foundations for the supporting concrete buttresses Three of the nine bays to Lansdowne Way to the north the central bay and two end bays have large double folding doors to permit access other bays are glazed with twenty vertical lights Each bay has segmental toplights with central louvres for ventilation The gable ends are also glazed with vertical lights with folding doors to Binfield Road to the west The site also houses inspection pits offices and a canteen in one and two storey brick buildings filling the angle as Binfield Road turn past to the south History editSince 1988 the garage has been a Grade II listed building reflecting its importance in post war architectural and engineering history 1 It is coded SW by Transport for London The writer Will Self has called the garage the most important building in London 3 During the privatisation of London bus services it was included in the sale of London General to the Go Ahead Group citation needed Bus routes operated editSeveral Transport for London bus routes operate from the garage including Route Start End Note 11 Fulham Broadway Waterloo station N11 Ealing Broadway Whitehall Night bus 44 Tooting station Victoria station N44 Sutton station Aldwych Night bus 77 Tooting station Waterloo 87 Wandsworth Aldwych N87 Kingston upon Thames Aldwych Night bus 88 Clapham Common Parliament Hill Fields 24 hour service 118 Morden Brixton 155 Tooting Elephant and Castle N155 Morden Aldwych Night bus 170 Roehampton Victoria 333 Elephant and Castle Tooting Broadway 337 Richmond Clapham Junction 424 Putney Heath Fulham 690 West Norwood Burntwood School School bus G1 Battersea StreathamReferences edit a b Historic England Stockwell Bus Garage 1249757 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 17 June 2014 Stockwell Bus Garage architecture com Self Will 14 March 2011 My paean to London s most important building Evening Standard Retrieved 13 September 2016 Historic England Details from listed building database 1249757 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 10 April 2006 1952 Stockwell Bus Garage London Twentieth Century Society Engineering timelineExternal links edit nbsp Media related to Stockwell Garage at Wikimedia Commons All Aboard For Stockwell 51 28 26 N 0 07 26 W 51 474 N 0 124 W 51 474 0 124 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Stockwell Garage amp oldid 1223863357, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
