Space House

Squire & Partners are sensitively retrofitting and extending the iconic Grade II-listed Space House in Covent Garden for Seaforth Land to create 255,000 sq ft of contemporary and high-quality workspace, flexible retail and events space and an active public realm in one of the UK’s first BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ listed buildings.

Built by Seifert and Partners in 1968, the distinctive cylindrical tower and rectilinear block were refurbished in 1996 and again in 2003. Squire & Partners’ designs seek to reinstate Seifert’s design intent by removing the layers of subsequent interventions to retain, expose and celebrate the original architecture, whilst creating new, complementary additions to accommodate modern working environments.

Proposals seek to reimagine the existing buildings whilst adding sensitive extensions to the tower - to create a taller, better proportioned top to the building as it was originally intended and conceal new plant including air source heat pumps - and to the block to create a new club house and external terrace accessible to all tenants.

Car-centric elements of the building will be reinvented, including the reuse of a ramp to the basement to provide dedicated cycle access to expansive end of journey facilities. The enclosing of an onsite petrol station canopy will create The Filling Station restaurant, activating the street and opening it up to public use.

Internally, designs will celebrate the building's character by exposing concrete, maximising natural light and adding a layer of finishes and furnishings with a mid-century aesthetic. Natural ventilation will be reinstated on the office floors, and heating and cooling will be provided by bespoke chilled beams, designed to fit seamlessly within the building’s radial concrete ceiling coffers.