NHS Property Services has announced that the first phase of restoration works at the historic, grade-one listed Finsbury Health Centre in Clerkenwell has been completed.
The building was designed by Georgian British architect, Berthold Lubetkin in 1935, opened to patients in 1938, and received partial restoration works in the 1990s, but required further repair due to water damage. The building’s owners, NHS Property Services (NHSPS), commissioned Avanti Architects and worked alongside NHS colleagues at North Central London Integrated Care System (ICS) to initiate remedial works on the medical centre, with the first phase of works completed this May.
A total of £1.5 million will be injected into the restoration scheme, including £1.4 m from NHSPS, and £100,000 CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) funds from Islington Council. Following full heritage assessments the first phase has been completed, having been ‘undertaken sympathetically to respect the building’s unique significance while keeping disruption to services and patient access to a minimum’.
Works on the roof in 2021 saw a waterproof membrane was applied, while more recent works recently completed works at Finsbury Health Centre include repairs to the façades (two elevations at the front and two at the rear of the building) replacement windows, curtain walling, and tiling, to the clinical wings of the building, and replacement of heavily damaged glass blockwork screens and render/concrete repair at the rear.
Belinda Cameron, Senior Capital manager for London for NHS Property Services, said: “Following on from the roof works in 2021, the initial phase of facade replacement at Finsbury Health Centre is now complete. This marks a key milestone in the restoration of the health centre and will ensure that this seminal building is preserved for future generations.”
She added: “This phase of the programme has addressed the water ingress around the windows at two elevations at both the front and rear of the building. Finsbury Health Centre has a deep connection to the local community, and we have worked closely with the ICS and building occupiers to ensure that there has been minimal impact on patient services throughout the project.”
NHSPS says Avanti has carefully sourced materials to replicate the building’s aesthetic, preserving the historic look and feel. It added: “Once complete, these works will result in an improved environment for both patients and NHS colleagues. Previous restorations in 1990 were led by architect, John Allan, an authority on the building, and friend of original architect, Berthold Lubetkin. Maintaining these ties, works have been led by Avanti Architects’ director and project leader, Fiona Lamb, with consultancy input from John Allan.”
The building currently features on the Historic England Heritage ‘At Risk’ Register, but following the delivery of the first two phases of works, NHSPS is liaising with Historic England about downgrading of the risk rating of the building, with the aim of removing it from the At Risk Register entirely in the longer term.
