Dating back to 1860 the presence of a White Horse pub on the High Road has been an important feature for the local community for generations. We have spent several months consulting local people to enable us to re-create many of the elements of the old building in a modern but contextual design.
Listening to Local People.
The overriding message was that a ‘glass box’ type faceless gastro pub was not what the community wanted. The White Horse pub was once a well-loved, local pub with a popular outside space. We have evolved the design of the new 270 m² pub with a 50 m² outside seating terrace by reflecting on the historic elements of the White Horse and creating a modern but contextual approach to the design. The new White Horse pub will be located on the corner of High Road and St Chads Road, and the design has been informed by discussions with experts in the licensed leisure industry.
Following initial discussions with the ward councillors and planning officers, the Oakwood development team attended a public meeting arranged by the ward councillors to discuss the plans with local residents. The meeting, held in January 2022, resulted in a clear feedback on how the new pub should look and feel. The feedback from local residents has resulted in the following changes:
Keeping the name
The pub will still be called the White Horse, and the emblem; a white coloured silhouette of a horse will be retained, cast intothe main signage on the front elevation.
Retaining important features
Historically the White Horse had a strong presence on High Road which was through bold signage and an abundance of flowers and greenery that flowed from a continuous planter across the front elevation of the pub. We have evolved a new signage zone, in contemporary materials, but subtly referencing the historic signage outline and providing planters for seasonal plants to add colour and greenery once again to the main pub elevations.
Character and detail
The pub elevation sits within the ‘plinth’ of the tallest building. The elevation is broken into brick pier framed openings; the piers have stepped red brickwork which reference the brick pergola from the original pub garden. The brick piers are infilled with green glazed brickwork to define this part of the building from the residential development above.
The pub environment
Previous comments about large expanses of floor to ceiling glass walls were not popular and it was felt that this would take away from a comfortable pub atmosphere inside. We therefore developed a new window proportion for the pub elevations and introduced a stall riser, which allows pub tables to sit comfortably against windows while retaining a view out when seated.
An outside space
A dedicated 50 m² outside space is provided on St Chads Road, set back from the public footpath that is covered with a brick pergola and solid roof. This provides a space that can be used all year round, extending the internal footprint and providing a gathering space, like those found on traditional pub corners all over London.