British Land HQ York House, Feix&Merlin

Project: British Land HQ York House
Award: Workspace Interiors - Communal Areas, 2024
Location: London, United Kingdom
Architect: Feix&Merlin
Client: British Land

The transformative refurbishment of York House’s ground floor lobby spaces, mezzanine level, lift lobbies and lift interiors, has created a warm, inclusive and welcoming arrival experience.

The vital communal areas at British Land’s HQ in central London bring together the different companies that inhabit the building. They incorporate break-out space and agile working, as well as providing direct access into the adjacent coffee shop next door, encouraging people to dwell, fostering teamwork and promoting a sense of company belonging.

The transformation includes the introduction of air purifying plants, new custom-made joinery, reception desks, wall finishes and decorative lighting and improvements to the public hallways. The project incorporates new artwork throughout, carefully curated to align with British Land’s values. 

Design highlights

A material palette filled with warmth, light and natural materials incorporating colour and texture, including breathable limewash finishes, recycled timber terrazzo and cork have been used to create a timeless and elegant feel.

The design approach has taken cues from the existing geometry of the space to introduce panelling with rounded corners as a motif of the interior design. 

The scheme includes a significant element of re-use with existing wall finishes cleverly reused as flooring including the granite stone on the walls which was carefully removed and repurposed as flooring. Elsewhere existing flooring has been retained and where possible existing features have been retained and repurposed. 

Photo credit: Richard Chivers