Frames Coach Station And London Borough Of Camden Car Park

The building comprises a car park and coach station, constructed in 1931 by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners for Daimler Car Hire Ltd. It is a reinforced concrete structure, designed in a Modernistic style, and consists of a four-storey garage with attached offices, lift blocks, and a ramp.

The exterior features a garage with large, rectangular metal-framed windows composed of small, horizontally arranged lights set between plain concrete horizontal bands at floor levels. These are divided by channelled concrete pilaster strips matching the window lights. The ground floor includes entrance bays. A lift shaft has a narrow, vertically arranged window above a door, rising the full height of the shaft. The offices, spanning three and two storeys, share similar fenestration to the garage. A parapet is articulated with narrow vertical niches. The ground floor of the pavement facade has a deep, rectangular window recess below a first-floor window and a smaller recess to the left. Moulded concrete and coloured inset faience detail enhances the appearance. A semicircular stair turret, with a door and window, rises above the ground floor. A projecting lift shaft includes a narrow, vertically arranged window highlighted by coloured faience strips and a moulded concrete balcony. Three square-headed entrances are visible at ground level. Corner windows illuminate the adjoining stair. A sweeping, external spiral ramp, accessed by windows following the ramp’s rake through three storeys, provides access to the upper floors. A vehicle entrance is located next to the base of the lift shaft. A single-storey coach station entrance is situated to the right, featuring later doors and a fascia.

The interior was not inspected.

Historically, the upper floors stored Daimler-owned cars, while the basement operated as a car park for privately owned vehicles, including a waiting room, attendant’s office, lavatories, and telephones. Each floor was equipped with an electrically operated pressure washing plant for car cleaning.