Royal Arsenal Royal Laboratory East Pavilion

The Royal Arsenal Royal Laboratory East Pavilion is a disused gunpowder factory that dates back to the late 17th century, specifically constructed between 1694 and 1696. It underwent extensions and alterations in 1855 and was partly demolished in the 1950s. The building is made of brick with stone dressings, and its roof is not visible. It has a single-depth plan and stands two storeys high with a five-window range. The symmetrical front features a projecting center with rusticated voussoirs, a plinth plat band, and coping. The doorway is adorned with an eared architrave and a console cornice, while a window above has an architrave with foliate brackets and a lion-head key. The altered windows have rubbed brick keyed flat arches.

The interior has not been inspected, but it may contain interesting features. It is noted to have been remodeled internally in the 20th century, including a central concrete dogleg stair. Historically, this pavilion is the oldest part of the Arsenal and possibly the oldest ordnance buildings in the country. It is one of a pair of pavilions, with the other located to the west, and these are the only remaining portions of a larger structure that housed the Royal Laboratory for the manufacture of fireworks and gunpowder after its relocation from Greenwich in 1695. Originally, the building had cross windows and a steep hipped roof, with lower buildings on each side. The courtyard between the two pavilions was enclosed to the north and south by walls with gateways, from which the lion and unicorn finials are now displayed in the Board Room. The yard was covered in 1855 and became home to the largest milling machinery space in the world upon its completion.