An Early 20th Century Pavilion
Originally designed as a storage facility with expansive doors to accommodate horse-drawn wagons, the Blythe Road Pavilion became a sports pavilion during the 1930s.
Today, this historic structure has found a new purpose as the Museum's ticket office and shop. While much of its history remains shrouded in mystery, we do know that between the two World Wars, it served as a hub for sports activities, including changing rooms for participants.
Why is Blythe Road Pavilion at the Museum?
The Department of the Environment assumed control of the structures within the Post Office Savings Bank grounds in the early 1980s, repurposing them for storage on behalf of the Victoria and Albert Museum. However, the Pavilion, was not a listed building and wasn’t suitable for the intended purposes. Facing the prospect of demolition, it was donated to the museum by the Department of the Environment, which also covered the associated transport costs.
Although the Museum's Articles of Association permit collection from any part of the country, there were initial concerns about the pavilion not being from the Chilterns. Because of this, the Pavilion was acquired as a functional structure to serve as the ticket office and host an introductory exhibition, releasing buildings collected from within the Museum's defined Chilterns region for stand alone exhibition.
When and where was Blythe Road Pavilion built?
The Pavilion has its origins in the grounds of the Post Office Savings Bank located on Blythe Road, Hammersmith, situated just behind the Olympia Exhibition Centre. Constructed in 1899, the Post Office Savings Bank initially featured a four-corner design, as seen on a 1921 map, though absent from the 1894 OS map. Over time, alterations were made to enhance accessibility, including the removal of one corner near the entrance, with the specific date of this modification remaining unknown. Additionally, a single 'entrance' door was later added, adding another layer to the building's evolving history.
How was Blythe Road Pavilion Built?
Constructed primarily of wood, Blythe Road Pavilion features outer walls assembled in sections, rather than being pre-fabricated. The roof is upheld by an arcade structure, characterized by two 33ft arcade plates supported on four posts. These posts are interconnected with four tie beams and bracing elements. Overhanging ends find support in two pairs of struts resting on end walls, while the outward thrust is controlled by four pairs of tensioned tie-rods. The four posts are seated on stone pads, and the walls rest on a brick plinth.
Preservation efforts have maintained the authenticity of the building, with most of its components being original. This includes the arcade plates, posts, wall sections, cladding, three pairs of rear doors, the majority of the roof structure (boarding, rafters, and approximately 60% of the slates), and the gable end pairs of tie-rods. Notably, around 1,000 additional slates were seamlessly integrated with the original ones.