From fire to flex: Inside General People’s
reimagining of Walworth Town Hall

Few buildings in London’s flex tapestry hold as much historical and cultural significance as General People’s Walworth Town Hall. A landmark of civic pride since 1865, its grandeur was nearly lost to history when a devastating fire in 2013 reduced parts of the structure to ruins. For nearly a decade, it stood empty- placed on the Heritage at Risk register and closed to the public.

Now, following a six-year process of sensitive restoration and modernisation, the building has been reimagined. With 50,000 square feet of design-led offices, co-working spaces, and communal areas, Walworth Town Hall has been brought back to life as one of South London’s most dynamic work hubs.

Facing down competition from 60 applicants, General Projects was cherrypicked by the Southwark Council to bring the majestic heritage site back to life. The now grade II listed building marks the flex operator’s fifth workspace under the General People umbrella, joining sister sites in Stratford, Harringay Warehouse District, Canary Wharf and Royal Docks.

Within its vast footprint, each hall, chamber, and communal area has been carefully redefined, blending period charm with cutting-edge functionality. The result? A flexible workspace that caters to South London’s business creatives and community- offering a mix of dedicated desks, co-working memberships starting at just £99, and private offices ranging from 4 to 60 workstations, starting at just £225 per desk.

Managing Director, Joanna Lee tells Flex and The City: “Walworth Town Hall is more than just a workspace—it’s a testament to the power of thoughtful restoration and community-driven design. By blending heritage with innovation, we’ve created a place where businesses and the community can thrive while honouring the building’s incredible history. This project embodies our vision at General People: to breathe new life into iconic spaces, ensuring they remain relevant and inspiring for generations to come.”

A Thoughtful Restoration

General Projects, alongside sister-company General People, collaborated with Peckham-based architects Feix&Merlin who underpinned every stage of the restoration, ensuring that sustainability and historical integrity remained at the heart of the transformation.

Throughout the space, period details- including intricate stained-glass windows, historic oak floors, and bespoke timber beams- have been lovingly preserved, ensuring the Town Hall’s architectural character endures. Fire-scarred walls have been left visible in places, serving as quiet tokens of the building’s storied past. And yet, for all its historical charm, the workspace is resolutely modern, featuring state-of-the-art amenities designed to support a dynamic community of professionals. It is what Julia Feix, Founding Partner at Feix&Merlin, calls “the perfect balance between sensitive restoration and contemporary intervention”.

Among the building’s many architectural highlights sits the grand staircase, whose stained- glass windows miraculously survived the fire, while a new lantern roof light has been installed to replace the previously concealed one. Meanwhile, spaces like the former Council Chamber- where the fire first took hold- have been entirely reconstructed. Featuring soaring 10-metre-high ceilings, a mezzanine balcony, a meeting room and an innovative artificial ceiling that mimics natural sunlight, it is an exquisite setting for up to 36 work spots, spanning 2799 sqft.

A Community-Driven Workspace

Beyond its architectural aestheticism, Walworth Town Hall is designed for collaboration and connection. The former library, which first opened in 1892, has preserved its grandeur while introducing contemporary comforts. Once home to more than 30,000 volumes, the library been beautifully restored as the main co-working space, with up to 40 dedicated desk seats.

An inviting on-site café enhances the sense of community at reception, which doubles up as a hub for General People’s hot-desk members. Operated by JUSU Brothers, a health-focused pan-Asian eatery and juice bar, the café ensures General People’s members and public visitors are always well-fuelled.

Special mention also goes to the WTH Community Space- a vibrant, fully DDA-compliant event hub accessible to the local Southwark community. Boasting a spacious 1,442 sq ft event room, accommodating up to 120 standing guests, and two versatile meeting rooms- all available for hire- Walworth Town Hall serves up a rich and ever-evolving programme of classes, workshops and private events, weekly.

A New Chapter for Walworth Town Hall

Located just five minutes from Elephant and Castle Station and eight minutes from Kennington, this revitalised workspace is as convenient as it is breathtaking.

For over a century, it stood as a pillar of civic pride. Now, it stands as a benchmark for how heritage buildings can be preserved and repurposed for contemporary needs- offering the perfect balance of tradition, innovation, and of course, flexibility.