Queen Street

Sensitive refurbishment of a vacant Grade II listed Georgian townhouse in Mayfair to create boutique office space with heritage character.

Client Confidential
Sector Workplace
Size 570m²
Location Mayfair, London

Having sat empty for over 20 years following an unsympathetic 1980’s restoration, we were approached to sensitively revive a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse by creating a boutique workplace in a heritage setting.

It was important that our renovation contributed positively to its Mayfair Conservation Area location and established a respectful relationship with the building’s neighbour to the rear – the Grade II* listed Saudi Embassy.

Simon Morgan, Partner at Morgan Real Estate
‘Our experience with Fathom has been hugely positive and enjoyable. Jonathan and the team are thoughtful, detailed, enthusiastic and, most importantly, creative. They are always on the front foot, making deadlines feel more spacious and project meetings far more productive for the whole team.’

Restoring a heritage façade

Having lost its prominence on Queen Street, we set out to restore the building’s distinctive dark elevation and repair decayed building elements.

Externally, we restored the handsome front elevation by stripping existing brickwork and applying a soot wash to create a cohesive dark colour across the facade.

The building fabric was upgraded with a new roof, timber sash windows and restored metalwork, with the refurbished entrance framed by a pair of contemporary carriage lights.

Establishing a warm welcome

Internally the plan respects its townhouse legacy with a welcoming and social ground level, grand boardroom at first floor and flexible office spaces on the upper levels.

The entrance hall showcases a playful monochrome patterned floor – using Mira and Statuarietto marble with brass trims – and feature pendant lights by Giopatto & Coombes to create an impact on arrival.

Refined metal signage directs visitors to the reception, conceived as a generous lounge space with oversized oak parquet floor, a grand fireplace and contemporary joinery with integrated lighting.

A bespoke low-level marble and timber reception desk creates a more domestic feel, along with floor length curtains, rugs and comfortable chairs upholstered in rich leather and velvet fabrics.

Leading off the reception, a marble-topped tea point and integrated velvet banquette seating area – lined with textured Shantung Silk wallpaper – creates an inviting space for informal meetings or coffee breaks.

The ground floor is given character with a collection of curated objects celebrating modern craftsmanship, plants and a series of artworks by contemporary London-based artist Sophie Coe.

Throughout the ground floor we introduced contemporary versions of heritage features including ceiling roses, timber panelling and cornices, and established an interior palette paying homage to Georgian hues of green and grey with accents of rust.

Workspaces with refined character

Office layouts reference the historic sequence of rooms which define each level, articulated with custom timber and glass screens.

Workspaces on upper levels are served by a customised lift and the original staircase refurbished with new runner, stair rods, wayfinding and contemporary lighting.

The first-floor boardroom contains a reinstated fireplace and feature pendant light as well as LED downlighters with scene setting capabilities and oak floorboards.

Throughout the building, modern services and high specification technology meets current workspace needs.

Further tenant amenities include a shower room with changing area, timber panelled WCs and a dedicated kitchen with built-in appliances.

To the rear of the building, a new lightwell draws fresh air and daylight into the ground and basement levels to create an attractive courtyard garden, with two additional external terraces on the upper floors.

Our considered retrofit has given new life to a redundant listed building in a historic context, and ensured its relevance for the future as a workspace which meets the needs of current occupiers.

Uncovering Georgian details

Peeling away the layers of the building resulted in some fascinating discoveries and preserved heritage construction methods.

An additional layer of ‘pugging’ boards was revealed when the suspended ceilings were removed.

Fitted between the joists, these very rare features were the Georgian answer to sound insulation. Usually, these would then be covered with a layer of plaster.

Other interesting reveals are the beautiful diagonal cross bracing between joists which helps to stiffen the floors and the large Georgian sash windows which flood the first floor with light.