Morgan Sindall Construction has completed the regeneration of 12 Victorian railway arches at Kilburn Mews in north-west London and handed the finished scheme over to Places for London.
Kilburn Mews and the Metropolitan Railway viaduct following completion of the 12-arch regeneration project. Image: Places for London.
Located opposite Kilburn Underground Station, the completed development provides 12 refurbished spaces for business occupiers, two new retail units and new public realm. Morgan Sindall's London business delivered the works for Places for London, Transport for London's property company, after the project was procured through the SCAPE Construction framework.
The completion moves Kilburn Mews from an active refurbishment project into handover and occupation. It also gives Places for London a completed example of how ageing railway arches can be adapted for commercial use without replacing the original Victorian structures.
Victorian railway arches rebuilt around live rail constraints
The construction work went considerably further than a cosmetic refurbishment. Morgan Sindall stripped the arches back by removing existing concrete, mechanical and electrical installations and fixtures, while asbestos was removed under controlled conditions. Each space was taken back to the original brick structure before a new structural slab was installed. The completed units include lined soffits and walls and glazed feature façades supported on structural steel goalposts.
The railway infrastructure above dictated how the new structures could be connected. Morgan Sindall could not use fixings that risked affecting the integrity of the existing arches, so an independent steel frame was installed within each arch to control loads transferred into the Victorian structure. Construction also took place beneath three operational railway lines, requiring coordination between Morgan Sindall, Places for London, Transport for London and Network Rail. Fire performance, construction logistics and the protection of the live railway remained key delivery constraints throughout the works.
The technical challenges became more complicated when the team encountered the legacy of wartime damage. Information supplied directly to London Construction Magazine says WWII bombing had affected the arches, while undocumented post-war works including underpinning and infilling were discovered during construction and had to be incorporated into the project team's approach. That combination of structural retention, constrained connections and work beneath operational infrastructure places Kilburn Mews within the type of technically demanding refurbishment workload LCM has been tracking across London.
LCM's analysis of London's refurbishment and retrofit market has previously highlighted how structural alteration, heritage constraints, temporary works and live operational environments are increasingly shaping major projects across the capital.
Refurbished commercial railway arches at Kilburn Mews following completion of the regeneration works. Image: Places for London.
Morgan Sindall points to heritage and accessibility
Historic brickwork and original cast-iron rainwater pipes were retained and restored where possible, while the surrounding site has been rebuilt with new public space connecting the commercial arches with the wider Kilburn area.
Richard Dobson, Regional Managing Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in London, said:
“Kilburn Mews has been a truly transformative project, breathing new life into the heart of Kilburn in a manner that reflects the area’s dynamic nature and heritage. Thanks to this regeneration, the local community will not just have a modern and attractive space for socialising, relaxing and shopping but it has enhanced accessibility around Kilburn while protecting historic buildings for generations to come. Working closely with Places for London and Transport for London has been central to the project’s success. This collaboration not only ensured that the vital rail lines above the project could continue operating as normal but meant that the renovation could be tailored to the area while providing a springboard to deliver valuable benefits for local people.”
Dobson's comments come shortly after Morgan Sindall strengthened its dedicated London leadership structure, a development covered in LCM's August London construction review.
Gas-free units and new drainage infrastructure
The completed commercial units are gas-free. Building services include air-source heat pumps, underfloor heating and a communal district heating system designed to reduce operational energy demand compared with the previous spaces. The public realm works also include new planting and drainage infrastructure. A 76m³ attenuation tank has been installed to control rainwater discharge, with local attenuation systems around new trees adding further surface-water management capacity. Reusing the arches retains a substantial part of the existing railway structure rather than replacing it with new-build commercial accommodation. The approach adds another completed London example to the adaptive-reuse workload already visible across the capital and tracked in LCM's Q3 construction review.
Kilburn Mews to inform wider railway arch programme
The wider importance of the completion is the scale of the estate behind it. Places for London says Kilburn Mews forms part of a programme covering more than 800 railway arches around London, with the completed Kilburn scheme intended to provide a template for future regeneration. That makes the construction methodology relevant beyond this individual site. Retaining ageing masonry railway structures while inserting independent new frames, modern building services, upgraded fire performance and commercially usable interiors provides a practical route for bringing other constrained railway assets back into use.
Jo Fisher, Head of Arches at Places for London said:
“We’re very pleased to have completed the building work at Kilburn Mews, demonstrating how historic railway infrastructure can be sensitively adapted to meet modern needs. The new arches and two standalone units will house some great businesses that will soon become much-loved parts of the fabric of Kilburn. Now we’re looking forward to great new businesses moving into the spaces and helping Kilburn Mews and the wider community continue to thrive and grow. This work isn’t just bringing new life to Kilburn but is also part of how we’re helping move London forward sustainably and with the city’s many diverse communities. We’re dedicated to investing in our estate to unlock its full potential, creating thriving, connected places all can enjoy.”
With the construction work complete and the site handed over, the next stage is occupation of the commercial and retail spaces. Places for London is marketing the refurbished arches to prospective businesses; the material reviewed by London Construction Magazine does not give individual tenant opening dates.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus Founder & Editor, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |