Selectaglaze assisted the refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Fellowship Inn in Bellingham South London, a semi-derelict pub that has recently been repurposed as a new cultural centre for the local community and beyond
Selectaglaze refurbished 32 secondary glazed units to address the requirement for acoustic insulation.
Refurbishing work
Architect Thomas Ford and main contractor Ash Constructing contacted Selectaglaze, as an essential element of the works was to isolate sound from inside and outside the building. High-level insulation was required to block out the noise from the busy thoroughfare on Randlesdown Road, as well as
Series 15 horizontal sliders were installed to most of the openings. It is a mid-range system with more robust but still slender framing sections allowing discreet treatments of larger windows. It can support thicker glass when higher levels of noise insulation are needed.
The large curved windows in the cinema required the Series 15 transom coupled to a curved Series 40 fixed light unit. This discreet configuration provided full access to the primary windows for ventilation, cleaning and maintenance.
Series 40 fixed lights offering 30 minutes fire integrity were installed against windows along a protected fire escape route, near to the external evacuation staircase.
Building history
Constructed in 1923 by architect F.G. Newnham, The Fellowship Inn was the first-ever pub on a London housing estate, The Bellingham Estate, which was developed to help ease inner-city overcrowding following WW1.
Many celebrities have also passed through its doors over the years including Sir Henry Cooper who used it as his training base prior to his fight against Mohammed Ali in 1963 and seen performances by Eric Clapton and Feetwood Mac.
Many areas of the building had fallen into a state of disrepair but following an extensive refurbishment programme, the space relaunched in June 2019 as the ‘Fellowship and Star’.
Presenting a range of social and community benefits, it now offers a pub, cinema, theatre and comedy venue as well as providing a home to the charity ‘Lewisham Music’.
Maintaining the Fellowship’s historic character
Jim Ripley, chief executive of Phoenix Community Housing which led the restoration project, said: “When we set out to restore the Fellowship, we wanted not only to save a historic landmark but to bring back a community venue.
“That meant making sure that it brought benefits to those who wanted to use it without disturbing the surrounding residents with loud noises.
“This secondary glazing means the Fellowship can do just that, enabling our community to enjoy one of Lewisham’s only cinemas, a large music and comedy venue, and to learn instruments – all while keeping noise to a minimum and maintain the Fellowship’s historic character for future generations.”
