Galvin La Chapelle

Galvin La Chapelle is a building with a long and colourful history. It was built for the parish of Bishopsgate and the Central Foundation School for Girls in 1890. It served as a parish hall and gymnnasium until 1975 when the school relocated to Bethnal Green. The rest of the building and the curate’s house were demolished between 1976 and 1977. The hall was due for the same fate, however a group of local residents led by historian Dan Cruickshank (a regular guest in the former Café) staged a sit-in protest and chained themselves to the front door gates to stop the bulldozers from doing any damage and the building was saved. The hall gained Grade 2 listed building status. The hall remained in a derelict state for 17 years. Galvin La Chapelle opened on 18 November 2009 after undergoing a complete refurbishment. The designers worked closely with the Galvin family who were very much involved in creating the aesthetic and chose carefully the lighting, flooring and furniture. The walls are limestone plaster and the ceiling has been refurbished, although much of the original woodwork in the ceiling and the granite pillars rema