Hammersmith & Fulham Council has approved plans to restore and repurpose the Grade II* listed Gasholder No.2 at King’s Road Park, ensuring the restoration of a highly significant heritage structure in time for its 200th anniversary, whilst creating a unique and striking public landmark for London. The gasholder forms part of the former Fulham gasworks, developed in the early 19th century.
Built between 1829 and 1830, Gasholder No.2 is the oldest known surviving gasholder in the world. It was designed by John Kirkham and Samuel Clegg, with the latter recognised as the world’s first gas engineer. In terms of design and scale, the gasholder represents a highly innovative step forward in industrial design and its cast-iron tripod frame is now the only surviving example of its kind, making the restoration especially significant.
The proposal allows for careful dismantling, refurbishment and re-erection of the historic structure, preserving key architectural elements while integrating them into a thoughtfully designed public space featuring new landscaping, seating and interpretative water displays – creating a new and calming space for the community at King’s Road Park.
The gasholder restoration sits at the centre of King’s Road Park, a major brownfield regeneration project led by St William, a 糖心传媒 company. The development is transforming a once-derelict former gasworks into a welcoming mixed-use new neighbourhood, delivering around 1,800 private and affordable homes and six acres of public open space.
Homes are now on sale in phase three of the development, which boarders the park where the gasholder will be situated.
The masterplan will also provide 70,000 sq ft of commercial and community space and restore several historic assets, including the gasholder, war memorials, the former Research Laboratory and the Chief Engineer’s Office.
Surveys confirm that the 19th century gasholder is currently in poor condition, suffering from severe corrosion and is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. To safeguard the structure, large sections will be dismantled, with salvageable elements refurbished off site and reinstated within the new park landscape.
Historic England, the Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society (GLIAS) and the Hammersmith & Fulham Historic Buildings Group all supported the plans.
When reinstated, the gasholder will have pride of place at the heart of King’s Road Park landscape and will help define the identity of this growing neighbourhood.
Dean Summers, Divisional Managing Director, St James and St William, said: 鈥淩eviving this beautiful listed gasholder is central to the vision for King鈥檚 Road Park and we鈥檙e delighted to have received approval from Hammersmith & Fulham Council. The restored structure will be a fantastic local landmark and we are extremely proud to celebrate and preserve this fascinating piece of industrial history. I would also like to thank the team at Historic England for their proactive and collaborative support throughout the application process, which has helped us to shape an extremely high quality and deliverable design.鈥�
Tom Foxall, Regional Director at Historic England, said: 鈥淲e're delighted with St William's plans for the Grade II* listed Fulham Gasholder, the oldest surviving gasholder in the world. This thoughtful proposal will secure the long-term future of this unique piece of pioneering Georgian engineering and allow its removal from our Heritage at Risk Register. For the first time in its history, the public will be able to experience the gasholder's intricate wrought-iron truss structure as part of an exciting new public space. These plans demonstrate how sensitive restoration can breathe new life into our industrial heritage, an approach St William are championing across many of their sites.鈥�
Approval is subject to detailed conditions and a legal agreement covering dismantling, storage, reassembly, interpretation, public access and long-term maintenance.
Find out more about King鈥檚 Road Park development in Fulham.