Swansea
Print Workshop @
Kings
Lane Warehouse
now viewing: Kings Lane Warehouse / The Existing Building
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
||
The Existing Building
HISTORICAL / ARCHITECTURAL
The Kings Lane Warehouse is a typical industrial Victorian structure, dating back to the late 1860s. It was built as a depository for Down’s Furniture Company on the former North Dock. The warehouse has been abandoned for many years, and remains unoccupied. It is of solid masonry construction, with a typical post and lintel structure: wrought iron on the lower floors and timber on the upper. The floors are comprised of solid timber decking. The roof is pitched and largely uninhabitable. The ground floor splits into two levels, to address the natural landform, which slopes significantly from east to west.
Currently, level access into the warehouse occurs in two places along King’s Lane: into the west stairwell and through a large roller shutter door further east. In addition to addressing Kings Lane with its south facade, the warehouse also has a prominent face to the east, where it fronts onto an empty lot at the corner of Kings Lane and the Strand. Currently, that site is lined with overgrowth and used as a gravel parking lot.
The King’s Lane Warehouse is a reminder of Swansea’s great industrial past. Its utilitarian facades, comprised of solid stone walls (rare in contemporary building), are patched with red brick, concrete, and render. Lintels and surround are red brick, and sills, for the most part, are solid stone. Its thick walls mean deep window openings, many of which contain the original stone sills and wrought iron window frames and mullions. The west facade appears to have been built later than the original stone structure, and is comprised of red brick with concrete lintels. The north wall, which is largely inaccessible, is an internal wall between the King’s Lane Warehouse and a neighbouring structure scheduled for demolition. We will know more about this façade when the neighbouring structure has been removed.
Despite having taken a beating, the facades have endured very well. Instead of compromising the building’s structural or aesthetic integrity, the scars from past alterations and demolitions imbue it with greater character and apparent strength. These layers of markings give the building an interesting patchwork of shapes and textures.
Internally, the existing building presents great potential as well as some difficult conditions. Each floor possesses a different quality of light and volume. The ground floor is heavy and dark, with large concrete piers and very few window openings. For the most part, it provides generous ceiling heights; however, there are 4 different level changes, there is only one point of level access to King’s Lane. In the northwest corner is a small timber mezzanine; it is in serious disrepair and the ceiling heights below and above are very low. The first floor has relatively small but regular window openings along the east and south facades, solid wood floors, as well as a series of Victorian wrought iron beams and columns. The second floor provides more generous openings in similar positions. The ceiling heights in these areas are fair. The roofspace is generally inaccessible with a minimum of useable floor area due to the pitch, though it boasts some quite attractive solid timber trusses. On all floors, the stone is exposed internally and rendered with a white coloured lime wash.
There is an open timber stair which connects the ground to the first floor; it is positioned against the north facade. In addition, there is an existing stair against the west facade. It has level access to King’s Lane, however, it is not level with the upper ground floor of the warehouse. The stair is concrete, with timber treads along its top run. Although utilitarian and requiring repair, this stair is fair in both width and depth of tread. This stair is the only means of vertical circulation through the whole building. The internal brick wall to which it is pinned is also quite an attractive feature.
Following conversations with Lisa Roberts at Swansea Planning Authority, it was determined that the Kings Lane Warehouse is neither listed nor located in a conservation area. This means that a proposed renovation could entail considerable alterations both internally and externally.
It has been expressed not only by the client but also planning officials and the Swansea Housing Association that retaining much of the building’s form is the preferred option. We strongly agree that retaining the building in some form or another is the appropriate way to move forward. Revitalised, it would give an iconic presence and unique address to the Swansea Print Workshop. It would also provide a facility that is well-matched to its building: an enduring and intricately layered craft housed in an enduring and intricately layered building.
ACCOMMODATION COMPARISON
The current useable area of the warehouse is approximately 950 square metres. This compares well to the initial schedule of accommodation developed by SPW in conjunction with Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, which looked at an optimum accommodation area of approximately 900 sq.m excluding vertical and horizontal circulation. By expanding the roofspace and/or excavating a basement, the warehouse’s useable area could be expanded to the ideal size for a facility of the type envisioned.