Characterful office renovation gives 1950s building a new lease of life

Project: KCS
Award: Silver, Workspace Interiors - Corporate Offices (Under 2,000 SQM), 2024
Location: London, United Kingdom
Design practice: 23 Architecture Ltd

In its renovation of a 1950s office in London's Kensington Church Street, 23 Architecture Ltd gives the 650 square metre space a new lease of life, providing smart, well designed and energy efficient executive offices, while maintaining the character of the original building. 

The office interiors have been transformed using a contemporary language to include new break-out spaces and external terraces that have been revitalised into verdant tranquil spaces. The workspace interior and equipment have been designed with flexibility and future-proofing in mind.

The bespoke blackened timber entrance door leads to a terrazzo and teak entrance hall, with a crisp concrete bench forming a base to the refurbished terrazzo stair. Within the offices, linear diagonal luminaires form a dramatic composition against a black mesh gridded ceiling, in stark contrast to an otherwise natural palette.

The judges said: "This project clearly creates a place with character and unique, memorable presence. The design approach taken by the team blends very well the nuances of prior historic layers in reinventing a new spirit and realizing a new image for a workplace setting that meets the demands of our times."

They added: "Beautiful details throughout, along with lighting, evokes a sense of mystery and discovery."

Design highlights

A bronze framed Sieger Legacy, energy efficient, glazing system has replaced the tired Crittall windows, upgrading the thermal performance of the building envelope, in addition to thermal insulation to walls, floors and ceilings.

Buster and Punch matt black and stainless-steel freestanding kitchens are clean cut and clinical hovering over an oak floor. Light oak and textured tiled washrooms are offset with accents of black tapware and lighting. Nordic brands, Eikund and Dk3 furniture were selected to complement the tension between the strong black and soft natural palette.

Photo credit: Simon Kennedy