The Westminster Coroner’s Court is a grade II listed building that was designed in 1893 by the architect GRW Wheeler. The elaborate brick façade with Portland stone dressings is a mix of neo-Georgian Jacobean and Arts and Crafts style and is in stark contrast to the recent addition of a beautifully simple extension by Patrick Lynch architects.
The original building was built following an 1887 Act of Parliament (the Coroners Act) that sought to regularize the laws relating to coroners in their role of doctor/lawyer, investigating violent or unexplained deaths and ordering postmortems and inquests. Prior to the Act postmortems and inquests invariably took place in random locations near to the scene of the death, which could include public houses. Purpose-built coroners’ courts were designed to fulfil two key functions, firstly the postmortem and identification of the body and secondly to accommodate court proceedings in the event of an inquest. As such the buildings were designed to provide a level of privacy and comfort to grieving relatives, whilst also affording space for court activities. The existing Westminster’s Coroners Court building is residential in appearance, with the domestic-led design intended to create a familiar space to those in distress. Over the years the building had become too small to accommodate all its services and staff and additionally, Westminster Coroners Court is where deaths resulting from major disasters and acts of terrorism are investigated including the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire and the Westminster Bridge terrorist attacks. It is one of the key Coroners Courts, and it was in desperate need of refurbishment and extension.
Szerelmey were contracted for the restoration works to the exterior of the listed building, which was unaltered externally. Following extensive sampling, the restoration work commenced with cleaning the brick and Portland stone dressings using Nebulous and DOFF systems. Several areas of repair were carried out to the brick and stonework incorporating the installation of matching bricks and isolated in-situ lime mortar repairs and repointing. The roof was renovated including the renewal of the lead cupola and several slate repairs using matching Penrhyn blue slates. Prior to the scaffolding being struck a new Avistrand pin and wire pest control system was installed. Internally, the space was reconfigured by others to open up the reception area and improve the flow of footfall and the administrative functions of the building.
In addition to the restoration of the existing building a new extension was added with all stonework designed, supplied and installed by Szerelmey. The striking new wing designed by Lynch Architects connects to the historic building via a link corridor and is as simple as the existing is ornate and decorative. In the architect’s own words, the new wing “extends the language of the Victorian Coroner’s courthouse in a series of internal and external stone rooms …”. The striking stone wing has provided much needed additional space to create a quiet and private area for grieving relatives as well as space for front of house public facing activities. The geometric simplicity of the new wing’s design with its solid Jura stone cladding punctuated by stained glass windows to the designs of Brian Clarke, lends it a somber but protective presence. At night, as light shines through the stained glass the building emits an ethereal, other-worldly presence and a simple but beautiful balance of solid stone to translucent light.
The external stone cladding, was sourced from Germany and is a Jura limestone with some fossil content. Pattern is articulated on the façade through bands and verticals of cross-cut stone with a sandblasted finish that contrasts with the smoother vein-cut wire brushed infilling ashlar, described by the artist as “bones and skin”. The stone is self-supporting and tied back into the CLT internal structure which reduced embodied carbon, and time on site. Internally, the new wing has provided space for the courtroom with a finely crafted wooden barrel-vaulted ceiling, a jury room and offices and facilities for staff and grieving relatives. The interior, done by others, is largely wooden clad with fine detailing and a palpable sense of spirituality, emphasized by the stained-glass windows. The space is thoughtful, peaceful and reflective. Adjacent to the new wing, Szerelmey installed a reflecting pool in one half of the Garden of Remembrance.
Pictures Rory Gayler and Johan Dehlin