Old Fire Station Worcester building photos, KKE Architects West English architecture design news
Old Fire Station Worcester Building
2 May 2025
Design: KKE Architects:
Old Fire Station Worcester by KKE Architects is a 2025 RIBA West Midlands Award winner
The 2025 RIBA West Midlands Award winning projects are:
Old Fire Station., Hanbury Hall, University of Staffordshire Woodlands Nursery, One Centenary Way and Conventry University, College of Arts & Society.
photographs © KKE Architects
Old Fire Station Worcester, Worcestershire, England, UK
Jury Citation:
This is a wonderful creative reuse scheme that reactivates and breathes new life into an important building in the centre of historic Worcester. Built in about 1938 as part of an early 20th-century civic centre, the Old Fire Station has been transformed with skill and finesse into 28 new apartments with retail space in the ground-floor former fire-engine bays. It stands in a prime location, situated between the Guildhall on the High Street and the River Severn, with views of Worcester Cathedral.
The jury appreciated the client’s enthusiasm for their project and for the history of the original building, as well as the civic contribution and the value added by KKE Architects. The Old Fire Station was built together with the Old Police Station as a pair of public buildings adjoining the Guildhall (town hall), all sited along the new pedestrian route the city is establishing to connect High Street to the banks of the River Severn.
The new retail in the former fire-engine bays is intended to activate this route and restore life to this former civic centre. The architects have treated the existing building with respect and care. Light-touch interventions make the most out of what already existed, with new additions that boldly but harmoniously contrast with the existing. The new elements are clearly articulated in a crisply detailed contemporary architectural language in the courtyard.
The distinctive ‘cottage red’ steel standing-seam cladding is especially successful. The jury enjoyed wonderful glimpsed views of the new rooftop extension between adjacent historic buildings, lanes and courtyards. This project proves that retrofit does not need to be expensive. Cost is often used as a reason to justify demolition, but this remodelling demonstrates what can be achieved on a tight budget. At £1,400 per square metre, it is incredibly good value.
It is also an exemplar of sustainable urban development, combining social and environmental value. Virtually all of the original building has been retained, with minimal alterations – for example, one fire-station tower extended vertically to make a lift shaft. By simply adding a deck and planters, the existing canopy that used to shelter the fire engines and equipment is transformed into a social terrace and garden shared by all the apartments.
The architects have taken advantage of the existing south-facing courtyard to offer views, sun and ventilation, and rooftop photovoltaic panels provide electricity. A key move was inserting a new floor of apartments in the roof space, with tremendous views to Worcester Cathedral and beyond to the Malvern Hills. This project is an inspiring example of what can be done with existing building stock in our cities, providing homes and community that contribute to civic life and connect history to the present.
2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners
Old Fire Station Worcester building – 2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners images / information received from the Royal Institute of British Architects 010525
Location: Worcestershire, western England, UK
Worcestershire Architecture
Contemporary Architecture in Worcestershire
The Undercroft Learning Centre, Worcester Cathedral, Worcester
Design: Acanthus Clews Architects
photograph © Andy Marshall
The Undercroft Learning Centre, Worcester Cathedral
Wolverton Folly
Architect: Quinlan Terry Architects
image courtesy of architects practice
Wolverton Hall Folly
The Morgan Visitor Centre
Design: Hewitt Studios
photo : Morgan Motor Company
The Morgan Visitor Centre
The Hive, Worcester
Design: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
photo © Hufton & Crow
The Hive, Worcester
Architecture in England
Contemporary Architecture in England
English Architecture
Royal Shakespeare Theatre redevelopment, Stratford-upon-Avon
Bennetts Associates
Comments or building suggestions / photos for the Old Fire Station Worcester building, Worcestershire architecture design byKKE Architects: page welcome.
