Very conscious of the cultural heritage inherent in the Farsons industrial complex, the clients, following an international selection process, chose Ritchie Studios (at the time Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd) for their proposal to transform the brew‐house into places for start‐ up offices and heritage spaces. Just like for Trident Park, TBA Periti were responsible for the structural and architectural detailing of the project for construction, and acted as the resident engineers and restoration architects for the duration.

The collaboration started with a meticulous study of the working drawings from 1949, preserved in the Farsons archives, to understand the construction methods and processes of the Brewhouse. This was followed by thorough site investigations with destructive and non‐ destructive testing of samples from various parts of the building. An assessment of the current status of the building beneath the extensively spalled sections was thus possible.

This allowed the office to carry out a finite‐element analysis of the slip‐formed walls to study the effects of proposed interventions on the existing structure.

One area which required detailed attention was the main brewing chamber containing the impressive copper brewing kettles. The structure was severely compromised due to the corrosive cleaning chemicals used during the brewing operation. However the structure could not be replaced as the copper vessels form an integral part of the structure itself. The entire floor slab and the vessels had to be supported while the reconstruction of the beams and columns with additional reinforced concrete jackets took place inside chamber.

An even more daring operation was adopted at the uppermost level where there are two cooling chambers, called the chapels, roofed over by convex curved concrete shells. In the underlying floor, loadbearing walls were reinforced and stiffened, new beams cast, and the floor of the chapels replaced bodily. The same process was used in the space adjacent to the chapels to cast a new set of beams to support the steel portal frame at the new Level 5.

The careful study of the structure and the significant repairs and consolidation works have allowed transformation of the interior of the brew‐house into rooms full of light. The roof itself has been opened by two large skylights to flood the lower levels with natural light. Since the Brewhouse will have an independent operation it has a new access across a 22‐ metre steel bridge inviting visitors to the brewing experience museum. It is a new span of life to the building after 70 years of use and abuse.

Photo Credits: TBA Periti and Joe Smith