Royal Exchange is a mixed-use development located in the heart of Kingston upon Thames, built around the Grade II listed Old Post Office and Telephone Exchange. These buildings, once integral to the communication hub of a thriving Victorian town, have been beautifully restored to their former glory, retaining their elegant charm.
Delivering structural & civil engineering services for the project, the team at Patrick Parsons helped to seamlessly integrating the historic building structures into a high-specification residential and commercial development.
This re-purposing project introduces a modern touch to complement Kingston’s evolving heritage. The site is spread over five blocks from 7 to 14 stories in height offering 322 Manhattan-style apartments with one, two, and three bedrooms, as well as 42,000 sq ft of flexible commercial space surrounded by landscaped gardens. The Old Post Office and Telephone Exchange have been rejuvenated, each serving a unique purpose within the development. The Telephone Exchange will become a dynamic space for businesses and innovative ventures, injecting a fresh creative energy into the area. On the other hand, the impressive Old Post Office serves as a social focal point, housing restaurants, shops, and meeting places.
Working in close collaboration with esteemed architects, every aspect of the Royal Exchange project has been meticulously designed to exceed expectations. Thorough investigations of the existing buildings were conducted to facilitate their seamless integration into the overall development. Design techniques were employed to preserve the historical materials used in the original construction, ensuring a harmonious blend of traditional features and modern elements.
The development’s design approach involved a careful analysis of traditional materials and minimal intervention to retain the original historic façade while incorporating it into the new structure. A design life of 60 years was sought, prompting an approach that minimized the need for new construction and focused on sustainably strengthening the existing structure. By employing our expertise in historic building construction and selecting suitable new materials, we developed solutions that minimised the demolition and alteration of significant historical features.
