HOWICK PLACE
The clever and crafted retrofit of a 30,000 sqft Victorian industrial space in central London creates a flexible, contemporary HQ
FOR U+I
U+I needed more space, but also somewhere to inspire unity, creativity, collaboration and joy. The original space was a large, industrial Victorian building with high ceilings, a very deep floor plate and a rich history.
In response to the request for ‘delight and surprise at every turn’, our design offers a playful manipulation of texture, colour, volume and light that amplifies the original fabric and sets the scene for the new company.
A NEW ARCHITECTURAL LAYER
The new design reveals and amplifies the features of the original building. It does this by opening up and exploiting long industrial spans, revealing original Victorian details and further tailors the original fabric by embedding a new architectural layer into the space. The design also maximises natural light whilst introducing movement and intrigue into the existing volume through the insertion of bold architectural infrastructures.
ARCHITECTURE AS A JOURNEY
A large central stair, ramp, perimeter mezzanine and suspended boardroom are organised strategically to adapt the original building for use. They create a journey from ground floor reception, gallery and auditorium to first floor office workspace and mezzanine; revealing the collaborative process of development and engaging the culture and community surrounding it. The effect is a varied sequence of narrow, long, tall, dark and light spaces to hide, discuss, meet and discover.
STRONG ARTICULATION
Key architectural elements are defined through the use of a single material.
Dark grey Valchromat expresses this contemporary layer and gives a strong and consistent response to the existing fabric whilst complementing the industrial finishes. The material is constructed as a build-up of sheets giving thickness to integrate services, lighting, acoustic absorption, storage and archiving forming a holistic architectural infrastructure.
Contrasting reflective materials are incorporated to extend the visual plane of rigorously coordinated exposed services, providing diverse readings of the space and forcing natural light deep into the plan.
LOCATION
London
SIZE
30,000 sqft
STATUS
Completed in 2015
CLIENT
U+I
AWARDS
/ BCO Award 2016, U+I Headquarters - shortlisted
/ New London Awards 2016 Offices and Interiors Awards - won