| Location | Marylebone |
|---|---|
| Client | Howard de Walden Estate |
MSMR are appointed by The Howard de Walden Estate to refurbish and repurpose a 1950’s institutional building in the heart of Marylebone. The building will serve as the central hub for an expanding cluster of serviced office spaces designed for health-tech innovators in the renowned Harley Street Health District.
It will provide 1,830 sqm of flexible workspace, meeting rooms, content generation rooms, dry labs, a gym and a rooftop terrace. A town hall with café provides co-workspace designed to encourage community collaboration and knowledge sharing and will be adaptable for various events.
The existing principal 7 storey building is connected to a 3 storey mews building by a double height infill space at ground level and a basement. Originally built for the City & Guilds, the building was latterly extended to provide office space for the RIBA. Much of the existing fabric remained unchanged leaving the external envelope thermally inefficient, and mechanical and electrical systems needing replacement.
MSMR worked closely with Knight Harwood to make crucial improvements to the building fabric including replacement windows and roof coverings, in addition to an overhaul of the services.
Central to the design is the introduction of a new suspended stair providing a direct connection between the townhall at ground level and a previously inaccessible flat roof above. This outdoor space is transformed into a valuable landscaped terrace for community members. The stair becomes the primary access to the mews building and enables level access to the terrace via a lift.
MSMR’s interior design reveals exposed concrete, brickwork and clay pot soffits. Smoked oak wall panelling and bronze accents in the entrance lobby reinforce the formality of the existing building’s appearance to Portland Place. In the town hall, a ribbon of timber and fabric wall linings unify the spatial volumes and softens the monochrome base palette. The sculptural, oxide-red stair draws visitors into the space.
The project will be delivered in March 2025 and targets BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.
Image: Colin Westwood / RIBA Collections
CGIs: Glass Canvas
