Paddington British Rail Maintenance Depot, East Block

The Paddington British Rail Maintenance Depot, East Block, is a garage built for road vehicles serving British Rail's Paddington Goods Yard between 1966 and 1968, designed by Paul Hamilton of the firm Bicknell and Hamilton. The design was conceived in 1964. It features reinforced concrete construction with an oval, single-storey layout that includes basement inspection pits. The building is topped with a coved shell concrete roof supported by dramatically arched cantilevered beams that spring from the side walls and central piers, allowing clerestorey glazing to enhance the interior. The concrete shell roof is also punctuated by portholes, creating a sense of light and space reminiscent of inter-war Scandinavian architecture. The interior is striking and provides strong, natural light for the maintenance of delivery vans. This building is paired with the workshops and office building nearby.