Greater London, Westminster, Hyde Park Cavalry Barracks, Barracks (Block C)

Building Notes

The Barracks Block (Block C) is a mixed-use building. It provides accommodation for 284 troopers, office space and guards room on the ground floor, and a medical centre in the basement.

Spence's practice designed the spaces between the buildings to be of practical use. For example, blocks B, C and D create an enclosed stable yard large enough to mount two squadrons in their proper order. The stable yard is also level with Carriage Road so that the mounted cavalry can leave by the Hyde Park entrance and minimise any traffic disruption. The arcading also has a practical purpose. The height of it was determined by that of a mounted soldier in full uniform, and thus provides shelter for the soldiers during inspection in bad weather.

Archive Details

The Sir Basil Spence Archive material includes the brief for the soldier's accommodation, which called for four person rooms. This meant each soldier only had a limited amount of space and posed the problem of storage for the regiment's elaborate uniforms. The Archive shows that Spence's solution was to design wardrobes with special compartments for each item of kit. The manuscript material includes Spence’s investigations into the amount of kit each solider would be required to store and, includes drawings and photographs of the wardrobes. The wardrobes have since been removed because of the lack of storage space for civilian clothing.

The Archive also includes photographs of the sculptured tympanum, which was salvaged from the old riding school and was installed above the main gate. The stonework was cleaned and a clock put in place of a window.

Archive Summary

The Sir Basil Spence Archive holds 401 drawings relating to the Barracks Block. The building is also shown on a number of drawings for the whole scheme. The Archive holds 182 manuscript folders and 809 photographs relating to Hyde Park Calvary Barracks. The photographs include a series of construction photographs, taken month-by-month, of the whole site.

This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.