15 New Bridge Street
Fifteen New Bridge
Street is a Grade II listed building situated on the Western side of New Bridge
Street close to its Southern end at Blackfriars. The site has long been occupied
and formed part of the Tudor Palace of Bridewell. The current building was
designed and built @1770 - 1777 by five 'London gentlemen' consequent upon
the new Blackfriars Bridge and the final enclosure of the silted and corrupted
River Fleet.
The building was extended and re-faced in
the 1890's and refurbished internally in 1912 and again in the 1970s and
1980s. The latter were not very sympathetic and by 2004 the
building was somewhat run down. Following a structural survey in which no
major defects were identified the property was purchased and thereafter the Trust,
in partnership with 15NBS,
set about a programme of careful
refurbishment and decoration.
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14 & 15 New Bridge St. December 2004
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Detail of stonework
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Planned improvements, 1890
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It is an
imposing
stone-built property with a classical frontage
comprising a lower-ground, ground, first,
second, third and fourth floors, there is a small front yard adjoining the
lower ground floor with brick-lined cellars under the road and iron railings
line the pavement-frontage with gated access to the yard. At the rear there
is an enclosed private courtyard formed by the surrounding buildings.
There is
a balcony running the length of the first floor supported on carved stone
buttresses and large sash windows and French doors to all floors.
Double-fronted mahogany doors are approached by steps with stone balustrades
and carved pillars. The entrance is flanked by carved stone panels and there
is a fanlight above. There are several such panels on the property with
scrolls, swags, oval plaques and lion-heads. These improvements all date
from the 1890s when the premises were occupied by the Rock Life Assurance
Co.
A great deal of time was spent designing
and creating the new reception-room taking the colour and thematic cues from
a painting of Westminster & the Thames by
Ashley Shaw. The design remit was to provide a welcoming, relaxing and
sophisticated reception and waiting room. The result is a refined,
uncluttered, contemporary and professional reception room.
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Reception 2004
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Reception 2004
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Restored plasterwork
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The principal ground floor office now houses the modern and
fully networked Clerks Room. Like all the
offices this has been refurbished to the highest standard. The furniture and
storage here and throughout the building admit the sequence of dark-grey
flooring through lighter colours to the bright ceiling giving a well-lit but
comfortable work-environment. The progression from Classical exterior
through the Art-Deco/contemporary inspired reception to the high-tech
clerks’ room is deliberate and positive. It encompasses all that the
building and the Chambers are, modern and progressive but mindful of history
and its value.
All the floors occupied by 15 NBS have
been renovated. Walls have been repositioned to provide proper office-space
and regaining the historical shape of the interior.
Modern electrical and data networks have
been installed and, most of the lighting has passive infra-red switching to
conserve energy.
Existing mouldings have been repaired and
where required new mouldings commissioned. It has been particularly pleasing to
renovate the beautiful marble fireplaces and return each to its proper place
at the centre of the room. Original features which could not be
incorporated into the offices have been recorded and covered to preserve
their integrity. Finally, the refurbished basement now
houses the IT/comms-room,
dedicated conference and video-conference room, seminar room and fully fitted
kitchen. Below are just some examples of the
work environment now enjoyed by members of chambers.
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New Chambers
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New Chambers
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Clerking 2004
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Library
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