Millennium Mills is one of the most iconic industrial buildings in the centre of London. The original building was the third and last of the large flour mills built at the Royal Victoria Dock at the start of the 20th century. At the time it was a highly advanced mill due to the carefully designed industrial process and advanced machinery.
The building was heavily damaged in 1917 due to an explosion at a nearby munitions factory. As a result a ten storey concrete structure was created in its place in 1933. The property was in the art deco style and was incredibly eye catching.
Sadly the mills were substantially destroyed in the Second World War. Ports across the UK were targeted in order to affect the supply of food, arms, and troops. The building was again rebuilt in the post-war reconstruction period. This led to the structure that still stands today.
The Royal Docks eventually closed in 1981 after production was relocated. This led to a number of the mills being demolished. Millennium Mills remains though and is Grade II listed because of its architectural and historical significance.
Over the years there have been a number of plans to redevelop the building including an agreement to create 400 luxury loft apartments. This project fell through and another one to create the London Pleasure Gardens saw the site fall into administration. In 2015 though the building became part of the £3.5 billion Silvertown Partnership redevelopment. The aim is to establish it as a new centre for businesses.
Work on the Millennium Mills has been ongoing since 2015. This has included the removal of machinery and grain chutes because they posed an asbestos risk. A big part of the project is facade retention, ensuring that the listed art deco frontage is preserved. The Denon Construction team was involved in this, providing our extensive experience.
Providing facade retention for such a significant and iconic building is a challenge but one we were very pleased to take on. We are immensely happy that we will have contributed such an important part of a huge piece of the redevelopment plan for the area.