Woodberry Wetlands
Client: London Wildlife Trust
Role: Frances – Project Architect at Kaner Olette Architects
Setting: Woodberry Wetlands Reservoir, Hackney
Landscape Masterplan: Allen Scott Landscape Architects
Listing: Grade II
Opened: 2016 by Sir David Attenborough
Conversion of a Grade II listed coal store into a community café and education space
Frances was the Project Architect for the transformation of a Grade II listed coal store at the edge of the Woodberry Wetlands Reservoir in Hackney, completed while working for Kaner Olette Architects in 2015. The building was reimagined as a café and flexible education space for the London Wildlife Trust, forming an important visitor destination within the Wetlands.
The existing structure was carefully stripped back to reveal its original fabric, allowing the historic character of the coal store to guide the new interventions. A new catering kitchen was introduced at one end of the space, with a counter crafted from reclaimed timber. At the opposite end, a bespoke feature staircase—made by a local ironmonger—was installed to provide access to the roof terrace and panoramic views across the wetlands.
The project celebrates the industrial heritage of the building while supporting the ecological and educational mission of the site.
“Over the past decade, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Simon and Frances on numerous projects. Their consistent excellence and dedication to quality truly sets them apart.”
