The Grade I listed West India Dock Warehouses, which date back to 1803, are a fascinating chronicle of London's maritime history and a heroic building endeavour in their own right. Their heavy masonry was built to withstand theft and fire; their vast interiors are forests of Pitch Pine columns. Badly damaged in WWII, the Warehouses were abandoned in the 1960s. The practice was commissioned to transform three of the surviving bays into a museum to 'tell the story of the docks'.
The challenge was to convert the bays without compromising their character. The team avoided subdividing the imposing interiors and took great care to leave the wooden features exposed. Elements from the buildings' past, such as winches and hydraulic jiggers, were retained and contribute inventively to the displays. The £12m refurbishment won prestigious awards from the Georgian Group and RICS.