Space House – Squire & Partners

Workspace

Space House

Camden, London

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.

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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.

Project team

Client Seaforth Land

Architect & Principal Designer Squire & Partners
BREEAM, Sustainability & MEP Atelier Ten
Structural Engineer Pell Frischmann
Landscape Designer Gustafson Porter + Bowman
Heritage Consultants Donald Insall Associates
Development & Project Manager Avison Young
Planning Consultant Gerald Eve
Enabling & Demolition Works Erith

Testimonials

'The result speaks for itself – a beautiful, experiential, state-of-the-art, mid-century office building of which Squire & Partners, Seaforth, and our partners can all be incredibly proud.'

Tyler Goodwin, Seaforth Land

Awards

2022 finalist
WAF Awards
2022 winner
WAN Award Bronze
2022 shortlist
NLA Award

Sustainability

BREEAM Outstanding - one of the first Grade II-listed buildings in the UK to achieve the rating
NABERS 4.5 stars targeted 
Fitwel 2 stars targeted 
Achieving RIBA 2030 Target 6 years ahead of time

A Remarkable restoration

This building have been considerately and sustainably restored, respectful of the character of the brutalist architecture whilst anticipating the needs of tomorrow’s occupier.

History

Originally built in an era advanced by the popularity of the automobileproposals will reinvent the car-centric elements of the building for the future. 

A ramp to the basement will be retained to provide dedicated cycle access to end of journey facilities, with the existing car park providing expansive cycle storage for over 500 bikes.

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