By Rose Bell
In order to developing wartime tunnels into a visitor attraction, the plans have been approved by City of London planners, whereas the scheme to transform the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels in central London also requires the green light from the neighboring London Borough of Camden before it can go ahead.
As a group of investment specialists, London Tunnels proposed this project and the project team includes architectural practice WilkinsonEyre and WSP.
Being designed to enhance seven-day-a-week footfall for the hospitality, retail, and leisure sectors, the Destination City policy is supported by the scheme. The proposed permanent Heritage Experience would reference the historic tapestry of the City, while the flexible exhibition spaces would provide a unique and distinctive space for cultural events within the Square Mile.
Additionally, the plans feature a bar on the Camden side of the site.
According to the Corporation: “The visitor attraction will be fully accessible, appeal to all ages and contribute to the transformation of the High Holborn as a seven-day and evening destination, whilst celebrating the area’s unique history.”
Following the second world war the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels were home to the Special Operations Executive, an offshoot of MI6 and they are 7.6m in diameter and cover an area of 8,000m2.
Considering that serve as a secure and secret long-distance telephone exchange was necessary, at the start of the Cold War the government enlarged the tunnels, while the site operated the first Transatlantic telephone cable, TAT1, which was later the hotline between Moscow and Washington during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Much of the original equipment will be retained.
When in operation, the Kingsway Exchange accommodated up to 200 staff, supported by self-contained water and air conditioning systems, along with the deepest licensed bar in London, a restaurant with mock windows and a recreational room with snooker tables. By the late 1980s, telecommunication technology had advanced and the tunnels’ telephone center became obsolete and was decommissioned.
