[exschke]

Closing its doors on some great history, Oscar Wilde, the Krays were all tried here. Not to mention a lot of Brits convicted of crimes and punished to transportation to the colony of New York

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5179270.stm

[xtrupoke]

Bow Street Magistrates' Court and Police Station in the late 19th century.




Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London as drawn by Augustus Pugin and
Thomas Rowlandson for Ackerman's Microcosm of London (1808-11).




Bow Street, London




Irish property company buys Bow Street Magistrates Court and Police Station

Edward Holdings, the Galway based property and investment company, is the new owner of Bow Street Magistrates Court and Police Station in London. These historic premises have a long and colourful history, particularly with Ireland, playing host to the arraignment and charging trials of many historic figures.

Amongst those who saw the inside of the Bow Street cells were the Fenian dynamite bombers, Oscar Wilde, Sir Roger Casement, and more recently William Joyce, better know as ‘Lord Haw Haw’. In the last 25 years, Bow Street was the place where many Irish arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act were arraigned, infamously the Guilford Four and the Maguire Seven.

East End gangster Reggie Kray spent time in the cells of Bow Street in the 1960's, and former Chilean military leader Augusto Pinochet appeared here to answer torture and human rights charges. It was at Bow Street that the famous Bow Street runners, the first organised police service in London, were based in the 18th century.

The acquisition marks the UK debut of Edward Holdings, a company that has enjoyed significant growth in recent years from its retail roots in Galway. The company has a strong track record of working with heritage issues.

Gerry Barrett of Edward Holdings is keen to stress that Bow Street's unique history will be respected during the buildings' redevelopment.“Edward Holdings is fully aware of the architectural and historical significance of the buildings in Bow Street and is committed to their sympathetic redevelopment. We will be looking at various options for the building over the coming months and undertaking a feasibility study in order to determine the most appropriate way forward.

“Bow Street Police Station has stood empty since 1992, and the Magistrates Court is also in need of investment. Our aim is to give these buildings the new lease of life that they clearly deserve.”
Preliminary discussions have already taken place with both English Heritage and Westminster Council regarding the need to take a conservation-based approach to the buildings' redevelopment. Edward Holdings also intends to consult with key local stakeholders before lodging a planning application later this year.

[Flikemommoilt]

Most 'old' office/commercial/industrial/government buildings are considered obsolete or obsolescent by 'the powers that be' nowadays.

I don't think the appraisal is always deserved (there is a degree of modishness in assuming everything needs to be in a cavernous open plan office and that all building need to be pre-wired, etc.) but whatever.

The idea is to re-use fine old buildings for habitation or other, flexible, commercial purposes, rather than tear them down or build anew needlessly. It's good conservation.