This mixed-use retrofit project for Derwent London reimagines a typical ‘London’ building on Tottenham Court Road. A pragmatic and holistic integration of architecture, structure and servicing has re-positioned a pedestrian and outmoded building, making it cool, contemporary and desirable.

Ground floor retail spaces sit between a hard-working basement and four floors of office space. Two floors of apartments complete the building.

Each use is enlivened with its own design themes: stripped back shells for the retail spaces; raw, creative studio space for the offices, and comfortable apartments for UCLH at high level.

Taking the building back to its structural frame greatly improved floor to ceiling heights while the raw concrete of the building structure gave a more industrial character to the studio offices. This character was enhanced by an exposed and rigorously controlled services installation on the ceiling, with a strong rhythm of ducts, trays and pipework which helped to define and animate these floors.

The exterior was transformed. Heavy-framed, single glazed windows were replaced with high performance frameless glazing with views up and down Tottenham Court Road. The existing brickwork was painted black to create a chic ‘new’ façade at minimal cost.