24, 26 AND 28, OVAL ROAD (See details for further address information)

This is a factory, store, and office building located on Oval Road, with parts extending to Jamestown Road. It was originally built in 1894 by William Hucks, with an addition in 1937 by Mendelsohn and Chermayeff, for the wine importers and gin distillers Gilbey's.

The original 1894 block, to the south-east, is constructed of concrete reinforced with hoop iron. It is rendered externally, with channelled rustication to the ground floor and vertical channelled pilaster strips rising from the first to the fourth floor. The building stands five storeys high, with an attic and basement, and has ten bays facing Jamestown Road. The ground floor features plain, square-headed entrances, including two vehicle entrances on the left side. The windows are square-headed, recessed, metal-framed, and mostly contain small panes of glass. There is a subsidiary cornice above the third floor and a main cornice above the fourth floor. The interior of this portion was not inspected. This building represents an early example of reinforced concrete construction.

The 1937 block is of reinforced concrete frame filled with concrete panels. The ground floor is clad in brown glazed tiles, while the upper floors are rendered. Located on a corner site, it rises seven storeys high and has six bays facing Oval Road and seven bays facing the slightly concave Jamestown Road facade. The architecture is in the International Modern style. A recessed main entrance is located to the left of the Oval Road facade, with a full-height projecting square-sided bay window above. This bay window features floor-to-ceiling glazing, emphasizing the location of executive offices. Other windows are arranged in horizontal strips separated by vertical mullions and are fitted with teak two-light frames and plate glass. On the Jamestown Road facade, the sixth-floor rooms are recessed to create a loggia with cast-iron railings. A projecting cornice sits above the sixth floor. The interior of this block was also not inspected.

Technical innovations were incorporated into the building, notably by consulting engineer Felix Samuely. The foundations are “floated” on cork insulation to protect wine from vibrations from nearby trains, and air conditioning was also included. The company, Gilbey's, formed in 1857, occupied 20 acres in Camden by 1914. The building was formerly known as Gilbey House.