High Street 2012 historic building conservation

High Street 2012 historic building conservation
Julian Harrap Architects for Tower Hamlets council
Contract £4.5m

The before-and-after pictures here are astonishing. Previously grossly neglected and altered buildings come right back into focus as handsome backdrops to the teeming East End. This is the best kind of facade job: Harrap’s team has repaired and reinstated frontages over four years along the A11, tackling more than 70 historic buildings and taking their 1900 appearance as its goal. It encourages positive change and further investment – and proves how in the right hands, even with myriad owners and difficult conditions, a little townscape money can go a very long way.