Hay's Galleria

Hay's Galleria is a riverside shopping arcade and entertainment venue in the London Borough of Southwark situated on the south bank of the River Thames. It is a converted 'wharf', in fact an enclosed dock, built in 1856 by Sir William Cubitt and originally known as Hay's Wharf, named after its owner, the merchant Alexander Hay.

During the nineteenth century, the wharf was one of the chief delivery points for ships bringing tea and cheese to the Pool of London. At its height, 80% of the dry produce imported to London passed through the wharf, and on this account the Wharf was nicknamed 'the Larder of London'. It was in use continually for over a century, although trade declined drastically after the Second World War and the surrounding area became increasingly economically depressed. In 1987, with the increasing urban regeneration of the Thames Corridor and nearby London Docklands, the area was acquired by the 'St Martins Property Group' as part of their 'London Bridge City' development, stretching from London Bridge easterly to English Grounds where it is terminated by the Southwark Crown Court site and bound to the South by Tooley Street. The decision to retain the wharf, a Grade II listed structure, to sympathetically restore its tea and produce warehouses surrounding it, to provide office accommodation and shops, was done by permanently closing the dock gates, covering the 'impounded' area of the dock with a floor to the sill of the wharf-sides and, most spectacularly, enclosing the entire space with a roof, reminiscent of the Victorian railway terminii of the same period, to create the galleria. This was implemented by Twigg Brown Architects as part of their masterplan for the renewal strategy.

The UK Social Work regulator, the General Social Care Council, and the Social Care Institute for Excellence both have their main offices in these converted buildings. The pub at the riverside entrance, 'The Horniman at Hay's' is named to commemorate one of the main tea producing comapnies associated with the trade here.

Because of its location on the southern Thames Path, its panoramic views over the City of London from the riverside, and the location between London City Hall and Southwark Cathedral the Galleria is also a major tourist attraction. It is close to the London Dungeon, HMS Belfast, and London Bridge, and within easy reach of other attractions including the Monument and the Tate Modern art gallery. In a fountain at the centre of the Galleria is an acclaimed 60ft moving bronze sculpture of a ship, called 'The Navigators' by sculptor David Kemp, unveiled in 1987 to commemorate the Galleria's shipping heritage.

Transport

* River services: London Bridge City Pier (Commuter service)
* Tube/National Rail: London Bridge station

External links

* [http://www.haysgalleria.co.uk/ Hay's Galleria]
* [http://www.twiggbrownarchitects.com Twigg Brown Architects] Architects for the regeneration of London Bridge City, including refurbishment of Hays Galleria
*IoE|470847|- Grade II - Hay's Galleria
*IoE|471397|- Grade II* - St Olaf House
*IoE|471388|- Grade II - Counting House
*IoE|471387|- Grade II - Warehouse, 47-49 Tooley Street