The Battersea Arts Centre, a South London cultural hub, caught fire on Friday afternoon local time. Reports of the blaze at the historical building broke in the afternoon, and 80 firefighters are tackling the flames. Battersea Arts Centre reported on Twitter that everyone escaped from the building safely, and at least one person was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation.
Photos on social media show the building in flames and clouds of black smoke blowing across the Clapham area. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, a London Fire Brigade spokesman told the BBC.
The 1893 building was designed by the late English architect Edward William Mountford, a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a president of the Architectural Association. Originally the Battersea Town Hall, it was converted to a community arts center in 1974, and was listed as Grade II* in 1970. The designation signifies the building’s importance to British heritage and cultural interests.
More than 60 firefighters are tackling a massive fire at the Battersea Arts Centre http://t.co/s9mCFiKA0K pic.twitter.com/2ITk4tYbJD
— Evening Standard (@standardnews)
March 13, 2015
Update, 3/16: Although the building’s Grand Hall was destroyed in the fire, the front half of the center was left untouched, and the center hosted two shows on Saturday night.
