An historic arcade

Reliance arcade is a Grade Two listed shopping Arcade in the heart of central Brixton.

The oldest parts of the arcade date to the Georgian period when the property formed part of a grand terrace of houses. The arcade was created in 1925 in an art deco style. The rear Egyptian façade was inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 and was fashionable in the period.

The arcade later evolved with alterations in the 1930’s and 1960’s and was listed in 2010 to ensure the arcade was preserved along with Brixton’s other indoor markets.

Of particular interest to English heritage were the open glazed truss roofs, vitrolite facias and chrome work detailing, together with the Egyptian façade.

With substantial support from Lambeth, the National lottery heritage fund and others, the landlords invested in a major restoration in 2019 and 2020 to secure the fabric of the building and save and protect the vitrolite, chrome and many other features. In addition, the fascias were renovated to make the arcade as attractive as possible whilst retaining the character of the Arcade as a well known local landmark.

The restoration was a genuine challenge. The arcade remained open throughout the works, many of which were fairly major. Specialist heritage approved architects and contractors were engaged under the guidance of Lambeth’s Heritage department and, as a result, works took a great deal longer than anticipated. The contractors worked with traders to minimize disruption and thanks to tenant cooperation and goodwill from all parties, the arcade is now a striking central market and thoroughfare for Brixton to enjoy.

The architecture of the Arcade is worth a visit in itself and the traders are as proud as anybody involved in the restoration process, and rightly so.