City of London approves plans to transform wartime Kingsway Tunnels site into new cultural attraction

The Kingsway Tunnels, under High Holborn, were designed as air raid shelters, and subsequently used as a Cold War telephone exchange.

The Planning and Transportation Committee approved plans to change them into an attraction featuring spaces which could be used for everything from fashion shows to exhibits about James Bond.

Shravan Joshi, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee, said: “I am incredibly excited by these plans and hope that LB Camden feels the same way.

“As we work to transform the Square Mile into a seven-day-a-week destination, developments like the one proposed for the Kingsway Tunnel site will become global attractions for a variety of visitors, which are projected to rise substantially.”

Join our new WhatsApp Community to get the latest news from across London directly to your phone

Architecture studio WilkinsonEyre, which handled projects including the restoration of Battersea Power Station, announced plans last year to repurpose these tunnels. 

According to planning documents submitted to Camden Council, the Tunnels would be transformed into an exhibition space capable of hosting 2 million visitors annually.

Buildings at 38-41 Furnival Street, one of the tunnels’ entrance points, would be demolished and combined to create a visitor entrance.

This new building would feature a permanent exhibition about the Tunnels’ Second World War and Cold War history and heritage, and temporary cultural experiences.

The planning document states that the Tunnels would feature multimedia exhibits, and allow visitors to see and use restored equipment from the tunnels.

A bar would be located in what used to be the staff canteens, with the document describing this as being the deepest bar in the UK.

These plans will require the approval of the Borough of Camden’s Local Authority before redevelopment work can begin.