Tunnel vision: the Brunel Museum gets a revamp by Tate Harmer Architects

London architects Tate Harmer have pulled off an ingenious feat: fitting a 12-tonne staircase through a 1.4m-wide doorway. The freestanding staircase takes visitors down to the Brunel Museum in East London's Rotherhithe and into a 50ft-deep shaft or chamber, which opens this week as an unconventional performance space.
The Grade II* listed shaft was built by engineering father-son partnership Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It opened in 1843 and leads to the world's first underwater tunnel, making it 'the birthplace of the mass urban transport', says museum director Robert Hulse. Now, just 5m below the chamber's floor, London Overground trains regularly rumble by.
The staircase is supported by three columns and has a viewing platform at ground level, as well as two mini landings where it changes direction. Its 1,000 components, including the bright red handrail and the oak treads, were transported by crane through a new doorway at ground level, and assembled in the shaft.
The architects – who created TREExOFFICE, a pop-up workspace wrapped around a tree trunk for last year's London Design Festival – powder-coated the steel structure in black. This was in reference to the steam trains that once used the tunnel, and to help it blend in with the chamber's 1.5m-thick solid brick walls.
After some debate, Harmer and his team decided to leave the walls as they were, rather than smarten them up or try to return them to their earlier condition. 'The power of the space comes from the patina on the walls,' says Tate Harmer partner Jerry Tate. This patina includes the outline of a former staircase snaking up the brick, the soot, the peeling paint and the myriad dangling cobwebs. Industrial chic is an understatement.
The events programme kicks off tomorrow (16 April) with a concert performed on a grand piano with backing from a string quartet.
The museum is located within Brunel’s Thames Tunnel Engine House, which is itself a nationally important ’Scheduled Monument’.
The Tate Harmer project includes the introduction of a new Grand Entrance Hall.
A key feature in the new design is a striking metal staircase leading visitors through the museum’s listed surrounds.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Tate Harmer Architects website
ADDRESS
Brunel Museum
Railway Avenue
London, SE16 4LF
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
David Brown Automotive transforms original Mini into a high-end, high-spec EV
The DBA Mini eMastered: luxury motoring is rarely so altruistic and joyful
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
OPPO celebrated smartphone photography excellence at Paris Photo 2023
Smartphone giant OPPO announced the next steps in smartphone photography during its Paris Photo showcase
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Hermès blasts off to ’the silky way’ for breathtaking London event
Behind-the-scenes of Hermès’ ‘Brides de Galaxy’ in London yesterday evening, a jaw-dropping event celebrating the carré silk scarf and its instantly recognisable prints
By Jack Moss Published
-
Cast House by Bureau de Change offers a contemporary take on an Edwardian home
Concrete tiers bring a distinctive edge to Cast House, Bureau de Change’s bold reimagining of a London Edwardian home
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Arc Polo Farm’s charred timber clubhouse underpins its updated Surrey complex
Arc Polo Farm by DROO in Surrey, UK brings together Japanese sensibility and English countryside in a project dedicated to its animal residents and the beloved sport
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A sleek country house in the south of England maximises views and efficiency
Adam Knibb Architects has completed a timber country house that’s designed to gradually bed into the landscape
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
One Casson Square penthouse is the perfect setting to enjoy iconic London views
The One Casson Square penthouse interior by designer Portia Fox has been revealed in London, filled with bespoke furniture and captivating art
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
RIBA Photo Festival 2023 explores photography and the built environment
The RIBA Photo Festival 2023 runs 8 – 11 November, exploring photography and its powerful relationship with architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
An art collector’s home blends bold pieces to craft a serene domestic haven
A collector’s home in London’s Kensington has been thoroughly reimagined by Edo Mapelli Mozzi of Banda
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Georgie Wolton’s No. 34 Belsize Lane in Camden gets Grade II listing
No. 34 Belsize Lane in Camden, London, by Georgie Wolton, is recognised as a modernist gem
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
One Crown Place apartment designs bring colour, fun and individuality to City living
One Crown Place apartment design by Angel O'Donnell is revealed, bringing fun and colour to City living
By Ellie Stathaki Published