Editorial

A New Chapter for a Historic Landmark : The History of Camden Town Hall

A Building Reborn

When the doors of Camden Town Hall first opened in July 1937, it was universally admired as a triumph of neo-classical design. Albert J Thomas had created something extraordinary: a monument in Portland stone that would serve as both the beating heart of civic government and a sanctuary for the arts. Nearly nine decades later, following an ambitious ten-year restoration, the building stands ready to embrace a new era, this time not as a seat of local government, but as a reimagined forum for cultural exchange and creative expression.

The transformation is nothing short of spectacular. Led by celebrated architects Purcell and brought to life through Tom Dixon’s visionary interiors, the 60,000 square foot space has been meticulously restored to honour its heritage while boldly stepping into the future. Signature elements include the largest bespoke sculptured pewter staircase in the United Kingdom and fine marble sourced from Tuscany, materials that echo the craftsmanship Thomas himself championed when he first sourced Carrara marble from Italy for the original ceremonial staircase.

Town Hall by Bottaccio, opened in July 2025

A STAGE FOR HISTORY

The story of this site stretches back to 1572, when Sir Andrew Judd purchased the 30-acre Sandhills estate. The surrounding streets still carry echoes of this history in names like Judd Street, Tonbridge Street, and Bidborough Street. By the nineteenth century, builder James Burton had transformed pastoral land into elegant residences, but the arrival of the great railway termini changed everything. King’s Cross and the magnificent gothic St Pancras station brought progress and industry, reshaping the neighbourhood entirely.

When Thomas was chosen as architect in 1932, he brought impeccable credentials. Born in the borough and trained as assistant to Edwin Lutyens, Britain’s greatest architect of the twentieth century, Thomas had collaborated on the Cenotaph and designed housing schemes that demonstrated his commitment to social progress. The Council agreed to employ local builders, helping to ease the unemployment crisis then burdening the building industry. The result was a striking white Portland stone building in stripped-back classical style, with Corinthian columns, a magnificent marble entrance hall, and a triple-height Art Deco Assembly Hall.

Town Hall was originally named St Pancras Vestry Hall, when constructed in 1937

Culture and Conviction

From its earliest days, the building proved versatile and adaptable. During the Blitz, its basement served as the Borough ARP headquarters while the Assembly Hall was commandeered by the Ministry of Food as a rationing office. The building survived with minimal damage, and by August 1945, the hall was restored to its former function as an entertainment venue.

The decades that followed cemented the Town Hall’s reputation as a crucible of British cultural and political life. In 1959, Claudia Jones staged the first major Caribbean Carnival in the Assembly Hall, celebrating West Indian culture through music, dance, and costume. Barbara Castle, who would become one of Britain’s longest serving female MPs, challenged Oswald Mosley from these very halls. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament held meetings here, as did the National Assembly of Women.

The first National Assembly of Women in St Pancras Town Hall, 1952. Reproduced in ‘Sisters: Journal of the NAW’

The building’s cultural credentials are equally impressive. Between 1954 and 1987, the St Pancras Arts Festival became an annual fixture, presenting innovative programmes of opera, theatre, jazz, and poetry, with a particular focus on revivals of forgotten works by Handel, Haydn, and Verdi. Simon Rattle conducted Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess here in 1976, aged just 21. Leonard Bernstein rehearsed in the Assembly Hall. In later decades, Richard Ashcroft and Nick McCabe from The Verve, Kirsty MacColl, and Liam Gallagher all graced its stage.

The 1953 Coronation Year Art Exhibition showcased paintings by the Pre-Raphaelites, the Camden Town Group, and the Euston Road School, cementing the building’s role as a leading national centre for the arts.

Claudia Jones staged the first major Caribbean Carnival at Town Hall in
1959

Leonard Bernstein conducting the London Symphony Orchestra at St Pancras Town Hall, 20 February 1970.

Looking Forward

Today, under the stewardship of Bottaccio, the internationally renowned hospitality and cultural events group founded by Elio D’Anna, this legacy continues. Known for producing events for the British Royal Family, Apple, Chanel, and Formula 1, Bottaccio brings decades of excellence in reimagining historic venues.

The building’s restoration has carefully reimagined its historic spaces. Vision Hall, the vast grade II listed former Assembly Hall, retains the triple-height grandeur that once welcomed opera audiences and political rallies alike. Inner Space and The Network provide flexibility for exhibitions, conferences, and intimate gatherings. Rhubarb Hospitality Collection brings culinary excellence to the building, while Pixl Evolution ensures the technical infrastructure matches the architectural ambition.

Rhubarb Hospitality Collection, our exclusive catering partner

2024 National Television Awards, produced by Pixl Evolution

The building has earned BREEAM Excellent certification, a commitment to sustainability that extends beyond environmental credentials to encompass the preservation of the building’s essential character as a gathering place for community and culture. Town Hall Presents, the venue’s cultural programme, continues a tradition established by the St Pancras Arts Festival decades earlier. Organised across five thematic tracks (Culture, Innovation, Impact, Community, and Big Ideas), the programming honours the building’s history as a space where ideas are born, debated, and celebrated. From disruptive runway shows to AI summits, from philosophy debates to wellbeing workshops, it’s a programme that would feel familiar to those who witnessed Claudia Jones’s Caribbean Carnival or listened to Leonard Bernstein rehearse within these walls.

heritage renewed

The renovation has been led by managing partners Emilie Edberg and Joseph D’Anna of Bottaccio, whose creative direction has been instrumental in bringing the space to life, alongside Tom Dixon’s bold interiors and Purcell’s architectural restoration.

When Albert J Thomas designed this building in the 1930s, he created something that would serve his community for generations. The magnificent marble entrance hall, the barrel-vaulted Council Chamber with its oak panelling, the triple-height Assembly Hall were all conceived to promote both democratic governance and the arts.

Nearly a century later, that vision endures. The building’s Portland stone facade remains as striking as ever, its keystones carved by William Charles Holland King still watching over the entrances. Inside, the craftsmanship Thomas championed has been honoured and renewed.

This is more than restoration. It is renaissance. Town Hall is ready to write the next chapter in a story that began with medieval estates, continued through wartime shelters and the first Caribbean carnival, and now steps boldly into a future where culture and creativity collide. The building that once hosted Britain’s first same-sex marriages and stood as backdrop to anti-fascist marches will now serve as London’s living room for artists, technologists, and visionaries.

In this building where history has always been made, the future is about to unfold.