Forum Topic

Proposed Demolition of Marks & Spencer, Orchard House, Oxford Street

I am angry that this handsome building at the Marble Arch end of Oxford Street has been approved for demolition.  It is an act of vandalism and only Michael Gove can step in now to save it.

Martine Guy ● 1392d45 Comments

There's a good article in defence of Orchard House in today's Observer; it's very critical of the contradiction between M&S's boasts of being a sustainable organization and its actual behaviour in this case. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/29/razing-your-flagship-building-is-a-funny-way-to-show-a-love-for-heritage-marks-and-spencer

Richard Carter ● 1191d

So do I Martine.

Caroline Whitehead ● 1195d

The Public Inquiry started yesterday.  I hope Michael Gove will save this building.

Martine Guy ● 1195d

The campaign to save this building is lead by the charity, SAVE Britain’s Heritage.  There is going to be a public inquiry and this money will help with their legal costs, including expert witnesses.

Martine Guy ● 1262d

Silly question but, why do we need crowdfunding to save an iconic building?  I am not being difficult, just very cross!

Ivonne Holliday ● 1264d

This is interesting: a crowdfunder has been set up to stop the Oxford Street M&S building being demolishedhttps://www.timeout.com/london/news/theres-a-crowdfunder-to-stop-the-oxford-street-m-s-building-being-demolished-081622

Richard Carter ● 1264d

Calls for buildings to be retrofitted rather than knocked down and rebuilt.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61580979

Philippa Bond ● 1297d

Likewise here:https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/24/not-just-any-building-why-plans-for-ms-flagship-store-hit-a-raw-nerve

Richard Carter ● 1318d

And this article is on the BBC website this morning: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61916562

Ivonne Holliday ● 1319d

That is great news, thank you Martine!

Ivonne Holliday ● 1322d

That is indeed really good news! Thank you very much for drawing it to our attention, Martine.

Richard Carter ● 1322d

Yes it is, Caroline.  Really pleased about this. I hope this may start a campaign to save the old stores on our high streets, that are threatened with demolition, and which we take for granted.  

Martine Guy ● 1322d

Splendid news! Thank you Martine,

Caroline Whitehead ● 1322d

Hurray!  Some good news.  Michael Gove has blocked the scheme.  

Martine Guy ● 1322d

Save Britain's Heritage Campaign:https://www.savebritainsheritage.org/campaigns/item/757/PETITION-Stop-the-demolition-of-Oxford-Street-save-and-re-use-MS-flagship-store

Philippa Bond ● 1349d

I saw something about the retrofitting of this building(s)! yesterday.  It has now all been joined together with the entrance through Spiegelhalters.  If you have never seen or heard about this it is interesting to see and read:https://lookup.london/spiegelhalter-mile-end-road/It shows what can be achieved.  It is all now occupied.  Most (!) of this was once originally a department store.

Philippa Bond ● 1350d

These winners of the prestigious 2021 Pritzker prize don't believe in demolishing.  We should be thinking more seriously about embodied carbon.  There is a very interesting French housing block they have retrofitted instead of demolishing.https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/never-demolish-never-replace-retrofit-aces-lacaton-and-vassal-win-2021-pritzker-prize

Philippa Bond ● 1350d

Looks like they got a cheap second hand design from Soviet era East Germany...

Michael Ixer ● 1352d

Omg that is horrendous!

Sue Hammond ● 1352d

No it’s not pretty and you have to wonder what Westminster residents living in the vicinity think about it.  
When you think about how bland and boring the interiors of Marks & Spencer’s stores are, there would be no loss by demolishing the interior of the building and rebuilding, but keeping the exterior intact.  

Martine Guy ● 1352d

And the Mail has published a picture of what the proposed replacement would look like. It's not pretty:

Richard Carter ● 1352d

So do I, Caroline.

Martine Guy ● 1353d

Good news Martine. I do hope that Kevin McCloud and Griff Rhys-Jones will prevail.

Caroline Whitehead ● 1353d

Mail Online today “Mission to save Oxford Street’s Marks&Spencer: Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud and Comedian Griff Rhys-Jones join leading figures demanding Michael Gove spares 100 year old store from the bulldozers”.
(Griff Rhys-Jones is President of the Victorian Society) Save Britain’s Heritage seem to be leading the campaign to save this “elegant and important interwar building” I do hope Michael Gove listens and stops this vandalism.

Martine Guy ● 1353d

If the demolition of Marks&Spencer Marble Arch goes ahead, it is my opinion the Conservatives will not be re-elected in Westminster any time soon.  If it does go ahead, it will forever be a reminder of a council that went mad and demolished a grand building, whilst spending nearly £6 million on a slag heap,ie the Marble Arch Mound.

Martine Guy ● 1368d

Thank you Richard.That is good news, at least for now.....

Ivonne Holliday ● 1380d

Richard, thank you for this.  I hope it is not just a stay of execution until after the local elections.  Westminster residents can’t be happy, surely, about the proposed demolition.   The building gives a bit of grandeur to that part of Oxford Street.  

Martine Guy ● 1380d

I hope this is going to lead somewhere: "Plans by M&S to demolish its Oxford Street – Marble Arch store and replace it with a smaller store and more offices have been put on hold after the Communities Secretary Michael Gove called the scheme in for review."https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/ms-oxford-street-store-demolition-put-on-hold-53966/

Richard Carter ● 1381d

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/khan-says-no-grounds-to-intervene-over-demolition-of-ms-oxford-st?utm_source=Bibblio&utm_medium=Recommendation&utm_campaign=Recommended_ArticlesAnother proposed building has been called in by Michael Gove.

Philippa Bond ● 1391d

Thank you for this, Martine, I'll certainly look out for it.

Richard Carter ● 1391d

On the 6 News looks like it's going to be demolished.

Barbara Stevens ● 1391d

Richard, you probably know about this, but next time you are on the upper deck of a bus in Oxford Street have a look at the 3 Festival of Britain plaques on 219 Oxford Street, close to Pantheon M&S.  Only found out about them last year.

Martine Guy ● 1391d

Caroline, when I moved to London in 1980, my first job was in Margaret St, near to the Pantheon store.  At that time there was only one food retailer in that part of London and that was Marks & Spencer.  It was some years before Tesco opened a food store opposite John Lewis.  I saw Kenneth Williams in the Pantheon store doing his food shopping, and as I thought he was really funny, I was thrilled about seeing him. Why didn’t our Labour Mayor of London oppose the proposed demolition of the Marble Arch store?  Is no-one going to defend these shop buildings from demolition, as I understand several retail buildings are at threat around the country.  We take them for granted and I think our high towns and cities will be damaged by their demolition and redevelopment.  It is a disgrace!

Martine Guy ● 1391d

Martine: I totally agree with you and I'm sure others in Westminster must feel the same. Is there no organised opposition?Like you I'm glad that it wasn't The Pantheon - the first job I ever had was there. In those days it was the M&S flagship and Sir Simon and the Sieffs made frequent visits.

Caroline Whitehead ● 1391d

When I heard about this my first thought was, no, not the Pantheon M&S store at Oxford Circus, which I like very much, so I was relieved but then shocked. I read that the Conservatives have a policy of demolition and rebuild with something new. I am totally against this if it is a handsome building like the Marble Arch store.  In Putney we lost a bit of Deco with the demolition of the old BHS store.  I hate the building that has replaced it.  The old exterior should have been retained and the interior rebuilt.

Martine Guy ● 1391d

Absolutely! And I always think the best way to see them is from upstairs on a double decker: no distraction from the shops below that way.

Richard Carter ● 1391d

What also saddens and angers me about this, is that the Conservative and Labour parties have joined together to allow the destruction of this building.  Completely disgraceful!  I hope this isn’t the start of the destruction of Oxford Street, there are some lovely buildings if you look above street level at the architecture.

Martine Guy ● 1391d

Richard, it is a fine building and I think Westminster Council are mad to allow this to go through.  I don’t think some people realise what building it is.  I always thought of it as Marks&Spencer Marble Arch.  They should leave the exterior as it is and allow the interior to be rebuilt.

Martine Guy ● 1392d

I agree it's a landmark building and it's a travesty to knock it down rather than refurbish it.

Matt Palmer ● 1392d

Matt Palmer ● 1392d

Thank you for posting this, Martine. I hadn't really noticed what a fine building it is, but you can see that in this photo; the site won't allow posting the actual image but here's a link to it:https://www.buildington.co.uk/images/projects/16164293436058c11f2dbdc7.54282193.jpg

Richard Carter ● 1392d

I saw on the news this morning that a positive spin is being put on the story. They were saying M&S moved another step further yesterday on their new building in Oxford Street.  No negatives put forward.  I think it is a loss to the appearance of this famous street and a loss to Art Deco in this country. We used to be members of the 20th Century Society, and I think I will rejoin to give them our support in the fight against demolition.

Martine Guy ● 1392d

There may be a campaign about this building.  The AJ certainly has a Retrofirst Campaign as a result of Climate Change.

Philippa Bond ● 1392d

Conservative Westminster Council gave the go ahead and Labour Mayor Khan has not stopped it.  
I really love central London and the buildings along Oxford Street.  We have little enough Art Deco in this country and this is just another loss to our architectural heritage.

Martine Guy ● 1392d

The proposed replacement is very overbearing and will only detract from the Selfridges building.

Karl Henry ● 1392d