Preserving the World’s Oldest Surviving Gasholder

Gasholder No. 2 at Fulham Gasworks is widely regarded as the oldest surviving gasholder in the world, originally constructed in 1829. Unlike larger gasholder redevelopments, the modest scale of this historic structure precluded residential development within its footprint. Instead, the project reimagines the gasholder as a permanent landmark within the site’s urban landscaping proposals.

Craddys were appointed to develop the structural strategy for refurbishment, assisting our client in securing listed building consent and planning permission. This led to fully developing the refurbishment strategy for procurement and construction. Our role focused on assessing the historic ironwork, defining repair and strengthening requirements, and developing engineering solutions to stabilise and retain the structure as part of the hard landscaping for the development.

Key challenges included working with extremely early iron construction, strict heritage constraints, and ensuring long‑term durability while preserving the structure’s character. Craddys’ sensitive, conservation‑led approach has enabled this internationally significant structure to be secured as a prominent and enduring feature of the redevelopment.