Unanimous approval for St George's Guildhall King's Lynn 11.10.24

St George's Guildhall King's Lynn (Grade I & II) has received planning and listed building consent with unanimous committee decision. Located on the banks of the River Great Ouse in King’s Lynn, the St. George’s Guildhall site is a unique heritage asset with enormous potential to become a major visitor attraction, a landmark performance venue and a vibrant hub for culture, creativity, and local enterprise. As the largest surviving medieval Guildhall in the UK, the refurbishment project will restore the historic and theatrical potency of this unique space.

The Guildhall is to be a thriving heritage attraction by day, supported by a new foyer with café bar, a riverside restaurant, enhanced back-of-house accommodation and a landscaped courtyard. By night, the venue will be an intimate and distinctive performance space hosting audiences of up to 300 people. Existing gallery space will be enhanced through fabric and servicing upgrades to increase its potential as a nationally recognised gallery. Across the remainder of the site, the project looks to return a series of warehouses into use, delivering a range of lettable spaces to help establish a flourishing community of local creatives. Air-source-heat pumps will replace gas boilers to provide low-carbon heating to virtually the entire site.

Haworth Tompkins is leading the design team with conservation support from Richard Griffiths Architects along with a team of specialists including Theatre & Acoustic Consultants - Charcoalblue, Structural Engineers – Momentum, Building Services Engineers - Max Fordham, Landscape Architect – JCLA, Access Consultants – HADA, Fire Engineer - The Fire Surgery, Catering Consultant – Mackintosh Solutions, Cost Consultant – Andrew Morton Associates, Project Manager – Pulse, Planning Consultant – Lichfields and Archaeologist – FAS Heritage. Construction work is planned to commence summer 2025.

More News

Planning permission has been secured for the transformation of 980 Great West Road in Brentford, marking a major milestone for the reuse-led redevelopment of the former GSK headquarters.

Brilliant news that the redevelopment of the Warburg Institute has been shortlisted for a RIBA London (West) Award.

The Warburg Renaissance Project transformed the Warburg Institute into a more open, accessible and public-facing institution, revealing hidden collections to new audiences and the public for the first time in its history, expanding capacity for 20 years of future growth and securing its cultural legacy through sensitive restoration, sustainable design and improved facilities for research, teaching and public engagement.

Pembroke Mill Lane, Cambridge has been shortlisted for a RIBA East Award.

Haworth Tompkins has three projects shortlisted at this year’s Pineapple Awards: The Developer and Festival of Place, which celebrate excellence in placemaking. The shortlists demonstrate the strength of our approach to placemaking and collaborative design.

Unanimous planning permission has been granted for Troubadour Greenwich Peninsula, a new 3,000-capacity performance venue designed by Haworth Tompkins.

Haworth Tompkins Associate Director Ken Okonkwo has been reappointed as a Mayor’s Design Advocate (MDA) for the 2025–2028 term, marking his second appointment to the role.

2025 was a demanding year for the built environment, but also one of real momentum for Haworth Tompkins. Against a challenging economic and political backdrop, the practice continued to adapt, collaborate and deliver work of lasting value.

The £2 billion York Central regeneration project has submitted the latest planning application for the next stage of delivery and includes Haworth Tompkins designs for Foundry Village; a walkable, street-based neighbourhood designed that will deliver 368 mixed-tenure homes.