Studio Weave's Woolwich Market Pavilion provides public toilets in southeast London
Stepped arches define the facade of Studio Weave's latest building, a brick pavilion containing a cafe, public toilets and market facilities.
Woolwich Market Pavilion is part of the rejuvenation of Beresford Square Market, a square next to the gatehouse of the historic former munitions factory, Woolwich Arsenal, in southeast London.
With its deep stepped arches and monumental chimneys, the pavilion was designed by London-based Studio Weave to echo the architectural details of the gatehouse and other surrounding buildings.
Its brick walls sit above a plinth of polished red concrete-aggregate blocks, while the window and door frames were made from solid oak.
Other distinctive features include a butterfly roof, defined by a ridgeline that runs diagonally between two corners. This gives an angled roofline to all four facades, while also framing the turret of the gatehouse.
The southwest and southeast facades both feature a trio of arches, creating windows and entrances for the yet-to-open cafe facing the market and a newly installed garden.
The northwest facade features just one arch, giving the cafe another entrance on Beresford Street, while a larger arch on the northeast elevation integrates entrances to the two public toilets and a utility room for the market.
"The architecture has to work hard – it provides an important social gathering space in the café, a backdrop for the life of the market, while offering dignity for the public who use the space," said Eddie Blake, co-director of Studio Weave.
Blake pointed out the importance of providing public toilets, " a public good", in urban centres.
"Ultimately, without accessible public toilets, we are excluding many people from places like Beresford Square," he said.
The Beresford Square Market transformation was delivered by the local authority, Royal Borough of Greenwich, with funding from the UK government's Levelling Up Fund, an initiative launched in 2020 under former prime minister Boris Johnson.
Studio Weave developed the wider landscaping in collaboration with landscape designer Tom Massey, continuing a partnership that has produced two gold medal-winning gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show.
The garden occupies the northwest corner of the site, designed to form a "soft green buffer" to the adjacent dual carriageway. Its planting areas are interspersed with gravel paths and stepping stones.
"These designs will transform Beresford Square into a haven for people and wildlife right in the middle of Woolwich for many decades," said Blake.
Massey and Studio Weave have teamed up on numerous projects since first working together on Hothouse, an installation for the London Design Festival in 2020.
They previously transformed Jubilee Gardens in the City of London, while upcoming schemes include a redesign of nearby Finsbury Circus and a new pavilion and landscape for the British Museum.
The photography is by Jim Stephenson.
Project credits
Client: Royal Borough of Greenwich
Architect: Studio Weave
Structure: Webb Yates
Building services: Webb Yates
Horticulture: Tom Massey Studio
Contractor: Elite
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