Old Brewers’ Yard, Covent Garden
Re-activation of one of London’s oldest brewery sites into a hidden oasis of calm amongst the bustle of the surrounding retail streets.
Old Brewers’ Yard comprises a collection of historic brewery buildings within the Covent Garden Conservation Area dating from the 1740’s, of which eight are Grade II listed.
Fathom were commissioned by The Mercer’s Company to explore development opportunities which would activate the space for public use. This work led to The Mercer’s Company securing Guinness as a tenant for their London brewery and culture hub, opening in 2024.
Our proposals create a generous courtyard by removing later additions to the existing urban block in order to reveal the character of the original brewery – one of the oldest in the UK – and maximise pedestrian connections between the surrounding retail streets of Long Acre, Neal Street and Shelton Street.
Restaurant and bar uses offer animated frontages which visually link surrounding streets to the yard and allow the previously overlooked central space to become an attractive destination for visitors and residents. Green ceramic tiles suspended from above and used as wall cladding afford Brewers’ Yard character and creates an intimate urban oasis away from the main thoroughfares.
Simon Taylor, Property Director at The Mercers Company
“We go to Fathom when we’re unsure what to do.
The team is skilled at solving problems and interrogating a brief to come back with a couple of fresh ideas that stack up in commercial terms – not a confusing myriad of options.
There’s a real depth of experience and knowledge at Fathom. We appreciate their full intellectual investment in the project, it’s not just a process to them.”
