25 Watling Street and 10 Bow Lane comprise the major ‘cut and carve’ renovation of four building elements; including two late 18th century Grade II listed warehouses in a historic quarter of the City of London. Three of the building elements, including both listed buildings are merged to create 25 Watling Street; the remaining corner building is adapted and refurbished as 10 Bow Lane. The project includes the refurbishment of 19,600 ft2 of workspace, conversion of the top floor from flats, marrying all building elements, integration of passive and active energy saving measures and creating a new identity for the site as a whole.

The 1980’s conversion of the site originally for an insurance firm had connected but not united the buildings. Part of the challenge was to unify the buildings laterally above ground to provide modern, flexible open-plan workspace.  A new exposed steel frame is introduced into the previously masonry supported building to allow connections across the site. A central ceiling raft is introduced linking the workspaces both for the more prosaic function of services route and to amplify the continuity of the space across the buildings. 

The conversion of the top floor from flats to workspace presented constrains related to servicing and floor height. Exposed services are arranged in each structural bay with ducting running below a raised deck on the roof and penetrating though the slab in each bay to maintain the maximum clear height across the space. The revealed structure and exposed services are monolithically white, blurring the objects together.

The workspaces have been left with curious marks and features of the different buildings constructions; exposed steel, mansard, sash windows, dormer.

From the street, the unlisted building has a new, bolder identity that combines black painted brickwork and matt black metal-framed openings, set against refinished Portland Stone surrounds accentuating the angular, elemental detailing to provide a striking entrance.

The new receptions are designed as embarking spaces from the surrounding network of lanes, alleys and courts. Panels of subtle texture and light are layered on the existing shell above a bespoke terrazzo base on which a series of freestanding custom-made furniture float.

The framed wall panels engage in a balance of light, texture and proportion. High-level panels are formed as light boxes illuminating the space, lower panels as subtly textured and reflective polished plaster. Black anodised aluminum panels on the rear plane are set as a backdrop against which to read the arrangement.

Each furniture piece is generated from a series of basic prototype forms combined and extruded though different functional working and seating planes. Used as a set of freestanding objects their relationship provides diverse datum for use as a bench, coffee table and desk. The furniture is made from bleached ash and patinated brass.