Category Archives: buildings

Edward Hollamby, the Architect of Greater Kennington

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A great deal of the built environment around us in Greater Kennington can be linked directly to architect and visionary Edward Hollamby (1921 – 1999). Like many architects of his generation, Hollamby was profoundly influenced by the values of William Morris. Namely, those relating to equitable living conditions and the universal right for people to work and live in places which allow them to flourish. There was no better way to execute these values that by working for local government, and Hollamby worked for both the LCC and Lambeth Council. 

Locally,  Hollamby is known primarily for being the lead architect of the Brandon Estate in Walworth (behind Kennington Park), which we wrote about last summer. His vision for the estate was to build a community which addressed the individual and changing needs of its residents, make shopping easier, while also creating large green spaces to allow people to relax and children to play. And to make the area more aesthetically pleasing he even convinced Lambeth to commission a sculpture by Henry Moore, which is very much still there.

As lead architect in Lambeth Hollamby hired Peter Finch, who designed the Cotton Gardens Estate in Kennington Lane (we are aware that these buildings remain a tad controversial). Hollamby/Finch’s thinking is that they wanted buildings which ‘danced around in different directions’ depending on how one looked at them. It’s often overlooked that at ground level they created green spaces in addition to bungalows and maisonettes for people who didn’t fancy  living in a high rise. A walk around Knight’s Walk around the foot of the buildings is a bit like a stroll in a park. And if the towers look very familiar to others in South London, that’s because they were all made from complex interlocking panels which were massed produced. 

Hollamby was also the brains behind the unusual and rather playful Lambeth Towers in Kennington Road, with the lead architect again being Finch. The building was started in 1964 with the intention of being mixed use, which it is to this day, and the box like design intended to allow each maisonette to be double aspect and have its own balcony. These buildings are classed as being ‘Brutalist’ but that name seems to stick to every 20thCentury building with a bit of exposed brick. Figuring out when a building becomes ‘brutal’ therefore becomes rather like an architectural game of Wordle. You may or may not find these estates to be beautiful, but Hollamby always made the needs and wishes of the residents paramount.

Keith Cunningham at Newport St. Gallery

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The latest offering over at the Newport Street Gallery is the work of little known and exceptionally gifted artist Keith Cunningham, who mysteriously gave up painting just a few years after he started. Cunningham was on the periphery of the London Group of artists who among their number included Frank Auerbach and Leon Kosoff and the Group were intrigued by Cunningham’s powerful, if not at times gruesome and sinister, subject matter. 

At least there’s no queue for the toilet

Cunningham was certainly a man with something to say, but not very interested who heard him, as many of these 70 works accumulated in his studio as opposed to being seen. He used a very dark and tightly controlled palette of colours with think coats of impasto, giving the works that are not under glass a 3D element, with the added drama of huge brushstrokes. In this manner he captures commuters, rabbits, and even squid. 

At the moment there is an epic retrospective of Francis Bacon’s work at the Royal Academy (north of the river if you dare) and in way Cunningham’s depictions of blood crazed dogs, skulls, and angst is an interesting counterpoint to the great man’s work. It’s possibly not a coincidence that they’re being staged at the same time. 

As you move through the well organised exhibit Cunningham’s  work begins to tilt more towards abstraction and huge blocks of colour. The painting below is a still life. However, it rather reminded us of Phil from the accounts team when he fell over outside the Tommyfield pub after downing eight pints of cider at our Christmas party. 

‘Keith Cunningham, the Cloud of Witness’ is on now until 21 August at Newport Street Gallery and is totally free. 

The Electric Elephant in the Room

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We recently made a long overdue visit to the very quirky and oft overlooked ‘Electric Café’ in Walworth. For those who have never been or only peeked through their eclectic windows, you might confuse it with a charity shop. Or it could remind you of your great aunt Edna’s loft just after she made her way to heaven. Either way, it’s a great spot to meet up with friends or to work for a few hours.  

Electric café is run by friendly and chatty owner Louisa, who on a daily basis serves homemade, meat free sandwiches, soups and pastries. On the board during our visit was falafel and hummus toasties, goats cheese salad, luscious looking brownies, and meat free pasties. Louisa also makes her own jellies, marmalades and chutneys, which are for sale on the counter. As if Louisa doesn’t have enough on her plate, she also does catering and the place can be hired out in the evening. Electric also has a rooted social conscience, and during our visit signs were being put up designating it as  a safe space for people escaping domestic trouble. 

Electric café is in the very interesting artists commune of Pullens Yard, (below) and well worth gander or a nosey peek around there in the daytime. So if you ever wake up thinking that what’s really missing in your life is a café with a glitter ball, repurposed cocktail bar and an old sewing machine, then look no further. And if your trip requires WiFi, then the router can be found teetering atop a stack of used books on the right, which are for sale. Have fun! 

Expiring at Gasworks

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If you follow art historical debates as fervently as our snooty ‘Culture’ department here at the Runoff does, then you’ll be aware that there are big debates afoot about the repatriation of objects that have been, lets say, ‘liberated’ from other cultures. Examples are the Elgin Marbles and Benin sculptures at the British Museum. The current exhibit at the Gasworks Gallery in Vauxhall takes a different approach to this question by asking museums to assess their relationship with life and death….Stick with us…..

The show is called ‘out of an instance of expiration comes a perennial showing’ and is by LA based artist Gala Porras-Kim. In addition to raising questions about the use of capital letters, the artist raises questions about the conservation of human remains and if sacred objects meant for the afterlife are devoid of meaning if extracted from a tomb and put on display, and to get her point across there’s even a giant sarcophagus in the main room. Next to the works are letters to museums asking about their curatorial practice and in one curious note she asks a curator if a mummy had been consulted before he was put on display.

As you walk through the works in the small space, the content of what is being asked becomes more apparent. How do we understand and respect items associated with death and how do institutions respect and deal with items in their collections which are still living (eg in an afterlife)? And if you prefer your art exhibits to involve mould spores and the contents of vacuum cleaner bags then this exhibit doesn’t disappoint. I mean this is Gasworks, after all. 

As you know, we love free stuff and on Tuesday, 8 March at 7pm Gasworks will have a free talk about Pharaonic music and how the ancient Egyptians made instruments.  Admittedly when we first saw this we thought it said Pharrell, but at least there’s still music involved. 

Out of an instance of expiration comes a perennial showing is on now until 27 March and, like all good stuff, free. Look at website for opening hours. 

Vito Project at the Cinema Museum

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Under the guise of ‘better late than never’ on this, the last day of LGBTQI+ history month, were here to tell you about some interesting films coming up at our very much loved and very much at risk Cinema Museum in Kennington. And by ‘at risk’ we mean ‘we better start going soon or it’s gonna be a Taco Bell’. 

The Vito Project is an LGBTQ+ Film Club which has a series of Spring screenings exploring queer representation in classic Hollywood flicks. The first of these is the Hitchcock Film ‘Rebecca’ with Laurence Olivier. There’s a conversation afterwards and it allows film buffs and their admirers a chance to discuss the coded queer meaning in the film and other films of the era. And there’s a bar in the cinema. It’s on 20 March and tickets can be purchased here. On 1 May the next Vito film will be ‘Tea and Sympathy’ directed my Vincente Minnelli (tickets here) followed by ‘Compulsion’ with Orson Wells on 31 May (tickets here). This will also involve a bar and lively chit chat afterwards.

A couple of Runoff fans went to Vito a dew years ago and confirmed that it’s very thought provoking for anyone interested in film.  The Cinema museum is a wonderful Aladdin’s cave of film and film related ephemera and your ticket allows you to pass through some of the corridors that are usually open only by appointment. And the auditorium is a fun mess of mismatched chairs and sofas. And did we mention the bar? 

Some of the screenings are a bit far from now but this is gives you the perfect opportunity to buy that lovely pocket diary we’re always bullying you into getting. Here’s one in sparkly gold

The Ten Best Restaurants in Greater Kennington #7

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(+ One Sunday Roast)

Yard Cafe

The number seven spot has been kidnapped by newbie on the block Yard Cafe. Set in a Buddhist Centre, it’s a blissful way to spend your work from home lunch break. The menus evolve which gives you no reason not to keep coming back. Seating is mostly outside, which might seem a bit surreal in February but its worth it. Review below.

Some of you might remember the vegetarian/vegan café at the Jamyang London Buddhist centre in Renfrew Road. It sadly went under just before we had a chance to review it, which is unusual as most places we review go under just after we review them. Well, it is now back with a vengeance and has just been taken over by the gastronomically acclaimed restaurant Louie Louie, curiously located in the less than gastronomically acclaimed Walworth Road. The new venture is called The Yard, and is open for lunch on weekdays, 10 to 4. 

The emmental and sauerkraut is a fave

The menu continues to be totally vegetarian and vegan and they also sell ice cream sandwiches and a few groceries. They also sell…..wait for it…..ice cream for dogs. Your scribe had a feta, labneh, roast carrot and tomato sandwich with rocket, with a bread that also rocked. My dining partner had a salad of chickpeas and chard with baba ganoush, roast carrot and tomato, green beans and leaves. Bagels and toasties were also available and looked good. 

The building that houses Yard Cafe is an old courthouse dating from 1869, in its latter days used as a maximum security court for special remands, including IRA terrorists, the Kray twins, and members of the gang who seized the Iranian Embassy. It Remains the tranquil home of the Buddhist Centre, so when the sun is shining Kennington has nowhere more peaceful to eat your healthy lunch. 

A Local Victory

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If it was possible we would buy all of our readers a colourful Christmas gift. Unfortunately, we once again failed to get a bonus this year or any other kind of appreciation from Runoff management. Well, unless you count Monday morning when Phil from finance shouted ‘here’s your lot’ and threw a handful of Quality Street into our cubicles before walking away.  What we can give you, therefore, is a present that will enhance our lives in other ways. 

Lambeth County Court has stood proudly near Kennington Cross for almost a century. It’s functional life came to an end in 2017 and its future was very much in doubt. It was tantalizingly shut from public view after that with the exception of  two occasions, which we chronicled in 2019 and earlier this year. During this time the Duchy of Cornwall, who owns the property, cynically applied for the building to be immune from listing with the plan to convert it into……you guessed it……luxury flats, with the added indignity of an extra floor plopped on top. This would of course entail gutting the building and destroying the original, period courtrooms.  

We’ve always had a passion for the Courthouse, but we’ve given our opinion about planning consent before and let’s just say it took the better part of a year to put that toothpaste back in the tube so we weren’t doing that again. However, to the rescue came the 20th Century Society who gave advice (read, pressure) to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to list the building and after a great deal of exertion the building was granted Grade II status, ensuing that it will remain intact. We’re happy that the Society used some of our images on their website. 

At the moment part of the building is used as studios for artists affiliated with City and Guilds. In our little crystal ball the Courthouse could perhaps become a gallery or studio space for everyone in the community to enjoy in perpetuity. Everyone needs a place to live, but they also need a place to explore. Merry Christmas……

History and Cameras

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Last weekend our newish MP, Florence Eshamoni, opened the spanking new ‘History Hut’ in Kennington Park close to the tennis courts. Formerly a seating area frequented by gentlemen who like to enjoy an outdoor beverage,  the rest stop has been transformed by the installation of eight boards celebrating the vitality and diversity of our area. The boards cover areas from royalty to hangings, cricket to Chartists, and Van Gogh to WW1. If you are an astute reader you’ll be aware that we have written about many of these things before *collective office high five*.  Well worth a pre-Christmas perambulation to work off those extra calories 

The boards also mention a little known but fascinating tattle of trivia taken from the estates around Greater Kennington. The strange railings that you see around many estates are not actually railings at all, but repurposed stretchers from WW2. They were placed in storage by the Civil Defense Corps until the 1960’s in case of a nuclear (!) attack. We wrote about them in 2019. 

Camera Club

We really know very little about the Camera Club other than it has been there for years and we know very little about it. It is actually one of the oldest photography clubs in the world, and the site in Bowden Street acts not only as a studio but also an exhibit space for members. Until 25 January the gallery is having its annual Winter Member’s Exhibition and it is totally free. The photos offer a poignant overview of the highs and lows we’ve all faced in 2021. The very friendly staff on hand can even tell you how you can become a member yourself if you are the snappy sort. 

Little Louie

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Earlier in the week we wrote about a collective of independent shops called Elephant Stores in the vast juggernaut that has become Elephant Park. At the core of the collective is a delightful cafe called ‘Little Louie’. Little Louie itself is a pint size, pop up version of the highly acclaimed restaurant Louie Louie curiously located in Walworth Road between a thrift shop and an Iceland.

Little Louis offers all of the cafe staples such as croissants (including vegan), buns, muffins and breakfast items such as bacon on sourdough, salmon, and veggie items, with a broad selection of coffees and teas. We went at lunchtime and opted for their lunchtime staple, toasties. Your scribe had a delicious and well grilled pastrami and emmental with lashings of mustard and horseradish. My colleague opted for the tuna melt with parsley mayo and pepped up with some pickled peppers. They were hearty and filling affairs served in sourdough. We’ve had their basque cheesecake before and it is to die for, even if it means running 30 laps around Kennington Park to work it off.

  • Pastrami
  • Tuna, although we are aware that the sandwiches look identical

While waiting for our toasties we perused the wine on sale and also the beers from the very local Orbit Brewery. We were very excited to learn that at the end of November Little Louis will be open in the evening serving cocktails, wines and beers on tap with a turntable. And if you want to recreate the Little Louie aura in your home you can even buy the tables and chairs in the cafe as they are on sale through an antiques outfit on site. I suppose then Little Louie will force their customers to eat their toasties on the floor but that has a certain earthy charm to it. Elephant Stores also has wifi if you want to create the impression that you are working.


Elephant Stores

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We’re not entirely proud of being seduced by the new shops in the dystopian juggernaut that is ‘Elephant Park’, but in our defense some very interesting and totally independent shops and restaurants have been opening up there such as pizza joint ‘400 Rabbits’ and video game pub ‘4 Quarters’. The latest kid on the block is ‘Elephant Stores’ which houses a craft/gift shop, a bike repair shop, an antiques market and (keep up) an outlet of Walworth dining staple ‘Louie Louie’. So if you woke up this morning thinking ‘wow I really need to get my hand brake fixed while shopping for a handmade lampshade and a refurbished chair while also eating a vegan mushroom toastie’ then you are in LUCK!   

The SoLo Craft Fair is a South London collective of artists and creatives who pitch together through their website, workshops, popups, and now promote their makes through the bricks and mortar shop at Elephant Stores. The 60 small businesses have their work shown on rotation and during our journey we saw affordable jewellery, handbags, baskets, cards, scarves, bath salts, prints and T-shirts.  The staff on hand are usually creators themselves and more than happy to give you advice. If you are the crafty type yourself you can even apply to sell your wares via SoLo by enquring here. 

Vintage Matters is a small company based in Camberwell (so, close enough) who specialise in vintage homeware, typography, architectural salvage and, by looking around the place, a slight obsession with tables and chairs. So much so that you can walk away with the very chair you sat upon to eat that vegan toastie. Most of the accessories around the Elephant store, from giant letters and numbers to mirrors and  seltzer bottles, are available to take away on the day or just to admire. So think of it as a kind of ‘try before you buy’ exercise. 

While not exactly independent, Fix Your Cycle is a small chain who both repair problems with your bike and also offer regular bike servicing at different tiers. You can do tasks as simple as  pumping up your tyres and getting friendly advice to solving major, oily breakdowns. They even offer an ebike hire scheme. Of particular interest to us is their social enterprise ‘Recycle Your Cycle’ scheme. Working with HM Prison Service, they refurbish abandoned bikes for charity and this work is undertaken by prisoners at seven prisons, giving them valuable skills once they are released, and the bikes are then sold for charity. This aspect gave us so many thumbs up we nearly poked our eyes out. 

We will review Louie Louie’s offshoot ‘Little Louie’ in a separate post in a few days you lucky devils.