The City of Westminster has approved proposals for the remodelling and refurbishment of Oxford House. The existing 1950s modernist office building occupies a prominent corner at the junction of Oxford Street and Newman Street.  The building will sit opposite the new Dean Street entrance to Crossrail along Oxford Street.

London-based architecture practice Orms has been appointed by Great Portland Estates to revitalise the office building to deliver high quality, Grade A office accommodation and retail space that will meet contemporary requirements.

The site currently provides office spaces on floors 1-9 with small retail units on ground and basement floors. The building’s existing façades are no longer fit for purpose with high heat gains and loss whilst the rear yard with car park and deck is uninviting and underutilised.

Orms’ proposals for Oxford House are to work with the structural grid of the existing building whilst providing new design clarity to all elements of the building. The intent is to enhance the character and appearance of the building via a complete reclad of the upper floors, improving both its visual impact and environmental credentials.

The rear yard will be improved by the removal of the existing car park and by creating a prominent new office entrance and a destination restaurant.  The entrance to the restaurant will be marked by a 2 storey glass pavilion. The removal of the parking will also make way for 80 cycle spaces and 8 shower facilities.

The proposed shopfronts to the retail units will be increased from single storey to double height frontages with stone clad piers, vastly improving the visibility and quality of the retail offer on Oxford Street.  The retail element will now spread across basement, ground and first floor.

For the interior, Orms’ design proposes to completely strip out each floorplate to create clean, contemporary work space.

Richard Warwick, Director of Orms said:

“This is an exciting project for us and marks an important stage the development of our design philosophy for the refurbishment of existing buildings.   The results of the refurbishment of Oxford House will fundamentally improve the existing building by providing excellent retail space, vastly improving the rear yard and creating an elegant elevation facing the new Crossrail entrance on Oxford Street.  The building will be a significant part of the emerging improvements to the east end of Oxford Street.”

Construction on Oxford House is expected to start in July 2017 and expected to complete in 2019.