A Warehouse (Skin Floor) Including Vaults Extending Under Wapping Lane

The Skin Floor, part of the former New Tobacco Warehouse, is a significant single-storey warehouse built between 1811 and 1813, designed by architect Daniel Alexander, who was the surveyor for the London Dock Company. This impressive structure measures approximately 250 feet by 350 feet and features lofty stock brick walls that serve as the dockyard wall, with no intermediate walls inside. The roof is supported by cast iron columns with branch-like V-shaped raking struts, which are a remarkable aspect of the design and represent an important early use of cast iron construction in London warehouses.

The roof structure includes rakes queen post trusses combined with king post bracing in two tiers, topped with a clerestory, allowing for a clear span of 54 feet. The supporting columns are spaced 18 feet apart, with the V-shaped raking struts supporting the intermediate trusses. This 18-foot module also corresponds to the fine brickwork vaults located beneath the building. The Skin Floor is one of the earliest surviving examples of cast iron use in building in southern England, highlighting its industrial archaeological significance.