Very sorry to hear the news that many of the traders in Elephant Arcade are being forced out of business…although it doesn’t sound like the forced move from the old Elephant and Castle shopping centre was particularly successful.
The arcade was originally garages for the Perronet House, a modernist block of flats. These were transformed into shop units by Southwark council project and were designed by Carl Turner Architects.
The original Perronet House was built in 1969 and completed in 1970. It was designed by the architect Sir Roger Walters for the Greater London Council and built for Southwark Council. The first residents moved in in May 1970.
Here’s a shot of the arcade from a couple of years ago. Whilst the flats are considered modernist, I’d argue that the form of the arcade leans heavily towards Brutalist.
If you want to read more about its partial closure you can do so by clicking here
