A Soho sign reflective of the area’s historic connections with the film industry may be replaced under refurbishment plans.
The Hammer House sign on Wardour Street harkens back to the building’s former use as the home of Hammer Film Productions.
Primarily known for its horror movies put out from the mid-1950s up to the 1970s, Hammer Film Productions moved into its Soho office in the late 1940s, after which point it was renamed Hammer House.
While the current sign dates to the 1990s, the Soho Society is requesting it either be retained under plans to refurbish the building or a “facsimile of the original” be installed in its place.
Chris Twaddle of kennedytwaddle architects and designers, which is working on the scheme, said the studio always tries to be as honest to the original as it can with its refurbishments.
He added the chrome sign was installed in 1994, though said they are considering the Soho Society’s request.
Soho’s connections with various forms of entertainment, from clubs, bars and restaurants to the sex industry, are news to no-one with a passing interest in the area.
Another industry with close associations with the neighbourhood is film, which saw its zenith in the early to mid-20th century.
According to The Londonist by 1926 there were around 40 film companies on Wardour Street, with others on nearby locations such as Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road.
Warner Brothers was among those to have an office in the area, as was Associated-British Pathé, which was based in Film House.
Hammer Film Productions was founded in 1934 by William Hinds and James Carreras.
While it worked on films in genres such as fantasy and science fiction, it is most closely associated with its long list of horrors featuring characters including Count Dracula and the Mummy.
The application, filed by kennedytwaddle on behalf of Hammer House Investment Limited, largely focuses on changes to the rear of the building.
It also proposes to replace the signage and doors to the upper floors “with more simple, discreet versions”.
Tim Lord, Chair of the Soho Society, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the group is discussing with the applicant whether any proposed changes to the building’s façade can either retain the existing sign, “or better still, replace it with a facsimile of the original”.
“Soho was for many decades the centre of the UK’s film industry and we are keen to retain and protect these reminders of that period,” he added. “We loved the Hammer House of Horror and we want it to stay.”
Mr Twaddle said kennedytwaddle has worked on all grades of listed building since it was started 25 years ago.
He added its research on the property has revealed the existing chrome sign was installed in 1994, though said they are ‘considering’ the Society’s request.
“The wider plans for Hammer House are to refurbish the building in a manner true to the original to create quality new workspaces and potentially a roof terrace with unrivalled 360 degree views of the area.”
The application is yet to be decided by Westminster City Council. A target date has been set of September 9.
Ben Lynch is a Local Democracy Reporter covering the City of London, Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea. A former contributor to Harrow Online, he reports on local government, housing, planning, transport and issues affecting communities across London.
