60 Parker Street, Holborn
Historic former coach works converted into modern offices
This project conserved an early 19th century industrial building and transformed it into modern offices. An example of lateral thinking which can be applied to a number of nineteenth century buildings in inner city locations. The project maximises natural light and ventilation, and created a roof garden incorporating deciduous solar shading so that occupants are always aware of the seasons and the time of day and connected to the natural environment despite its urban location in Holborn, central London. Sixty Parker Street is an industrial building dating from the 1820s. It was originally a coach works, and then a printing works, making use of the north facing strip windows at every floor. Its owners, GMS Estates, had intended to demolish and rebuild. However, in conjunction with Camden's conservation officer, Colin Wilson, it was decided to retain and renew the original building, and the building was listed Grade II during the planning process. An alternative approach was developed: to restore the four floors of accommodation within the main body of the building as offices, but to strip out the staircases and services and accommodate them in a new addition to the south in the... Read more.Historic former coach works converted into modern offices
This project conserved an early 19th century industrial building and transformed it into modern offices. An example of lateral thinking which can be applied to a number of nineteenth century buildings in inner city locations. The project maximises natural light and ventilation, and created a roof garden incorporating deciduous solar shading so that occupants are always aware of the seasons and the time of day and connected to the natural environment despite its urban location in Holborn, central London.
Sixty Parker Street is an industrial building dating from the 1820s. It was originally a coach works, and then a printing works, making use of the north facing strip windows at every floor.
Its owners, GMS Estates, had intended to demolish and rebuild. However, in conjunction with Camden’s conservation officer, Colin Wilson, it was decided to retain and renew the original building, and the building was listed Grade II during the planning process. An alternative approach was developed: to restore the four floors of accommodation within the main body of the building as offices, but to strip out the staircases and services and accommodate them in a new addition to the south in the light well behind.
The new staircase was created within a glass enclosure, and a slot of light was maintained behind the original rear elevation throughout its four storeys and up to a glass roof. Walkways at first and third floor level are made of galvanised steel gratings, and the second floor walkway is structural glass, acid etched, and lit by blue cold cathode ray tubes.
The office spaces are designed to ventilate through to the stairwell, with thermostatically controlled vents at the top. The stair flights – which are constructed of folded steel plates with reconstituted stone treads – are heated, to temper the space. Solar shading is provided by deciduous vines which are designed to form a mat of leaves in summer across the south facing glass wall. Within the offices, the floors are English oak.
Kitchens, showers and WCs are contained within a curved, glass mosaic clad drum, which extends the full height of the building, modulating in colour from light to dark turquoise as the drum rises up.
At each floor the services: heating/cooling, electricity and communications, traverse the stairwell space in three stainless steel tubes.
The stairwell is the social heart of the building, designed for easy interchange, gossip and overhearing.
The choice of gratings was as much an acoustic consideration as a visual one, allowing sound to travel within the stairwell and give a sense of life and animation to the interiors.
At the entrance, the existing pavement was too narrow to provide a wheelchair turning space, so the pavement was extended into the building, leading onto a glass doored lobby. Here again the glass mosaic appears, this time in a richer dark blue and gold colour and in a welcoming concave curve.
The piers, cornice and entablature framing the shop front were retained and repaired, and a large glass panel replaced the earlier shop front joinery. In the right hand bay of the shop front the existing stall riser at low level was retained.
Materials
The stairwell is enclosed in clear glazed curtain walling with a grey PPC finish. Bathroom pods are clad in glass mosaic. The roof terrace is paved, and incorporates a planting trough for the deciduous solar shading of vines growing up stainless steel wires attached to the facade.
The original floor structure from first floor upwards was repaired, with existing bressummers and joists used structurally. Floor boards were replaced with new timber boarding in English oak. Ceilings were underlined in plasterboard for fire protection.
Front Elevation – Existing Building
Brickwork was repaired or repointed in materials matching the original construction. New coping stones were introduced. Existing windows at first floor and above were stripped, repaired and repainted in oil paints. In the shop front at ground level new windows and doors are plate glass.
Roof
A new roof covering of natural slate was provided with new insulation over the existing roof structure. The existing truss bearings were repaired and the original skylight reglazed with a thermally efficient modern glazing system.
Rear Elevation
The elevation, previously in poor structural condition, became an internal wall. The existing coping was replaced in reconstituted stone. Elsewhere, existing openings in the rear wall and original windows were retained, with fire protected glazing behind to give the required fire safety.
The overall effect of the building is light, dramatic, tactile, inventive.
The building’s first tenants moved in in May 2002, and some of the comments from its users were:
“I look forward to coming to work”
Read less.“I didn’t realise Holborn had anything like this.”
Project Details:
- Dates
- 2001
- Location
- London, UK
Project Roles:
- Client
- GMS Estates
- Project Architect
- Marcus Beale Architects
- Job Architect
- Andrew Dobson
- Contractor
- Roxwell Limited
- Quantity Surveyor
- Pierce Hill
- Photography
- Marcus Peel