Space House is a comprehensive retrofit and extension of a Grade II-listed commercial complex from the late 1960s, reworking its Brutalist composition to accommodate contemporary work practices while reasserting its architectural clarity and public presence within Covent Garden.
Space House Technical Information
- Architects: Squire & Partners
- Location: Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom
- Gross Area: 36,954 m2 | 397,769 Sq. Ft.
- Original Construction: 1960s
- Project Years: 2019 – 2024
- Photographs: © Gareth Gardner
The project began by understanding what needed to be removed so that the original structure and spatial logic could be read clearly again, and only then deciding where contemporary additions were genuinely necessary.
– Squire & Partners
Repositioning a 1960s Urban Artifact
Space House was originally conceived as a composite of distinct yet interrelated forms: a cylindrical tower elevated on Y-shaped columns, a rectilinear slab block, and a series of bridging elements that negotiated between the two. This composition responded carefully to the varied scales of Covent Garden, allowing a tall commercial presence to coexist with finer-grained streets. The deep, precast concrete façade of the tower established a strong civic silhouette while modulating light and shadow at street level.
The refurbishment strategy is defined largely by subtraction. Later accretions that obscured the original structure’s form were removed, revealing clear lines of massing and circulation. By restoring the integrity of the initial design rather than layering new architectural languages on top of it, the project repositions Space House as a coherent component of late twentieth-century urban infrastructure.
Once occupied by a single institution, the complex has been reconfigured to support multiple users and public interaction. Ground-level retail, reworked external spaces, and accessible amenity areas shift the building from a closed commercial object to one that engages the city, extending activity beyond office hours and blurring the threshold between workplace and public realm.
Architectural Intervention and Spatial Reconfiguration
Vertical extensions to both the tower and the block add floor area while preserving the original intent of their rooflines. The added storeys are set back to maintain the legibility of the primary volumes, resolving previous rooftop clutter and reinstating a clear termination to the tower. Roof terraces introduced at these upper levels extend the usable workspace outdoors without competing with the existing massing.
Internally, the tower’s circular, column-free floorplates remain central to the architectural logic. Long sightlines reinforce a sense of spatial continuity, while generous floor-to-ceiling heights support flexible layouts. The rectilinear block contrast offers more intimate proportions, with a sequence of stacked floors connected through a restrained circulation strategy.
Key connective elements, including the reinstated sky bridge and shared amenity levels, enable different parts of the complex to operate as a single workplace. Programmatic additions such as club spaces, meeting suites, and a double-height basement event area are slotted into the existing structure, using voids and terraces to introduce spatial variation without undermining structural readability.
Material Continuity and Brutalist Detailing
Material decisions are guided by continuity rather than contrast. Existing concrete surfaces are repaired and exposed where possible, foregrounding the weight and texture characteristic of the original construction. New insertions avoid mimicry, instead adopting restrained finishes that sit quietly alongside the historic fabric.
Terrazzo flooring in shared areas and polished concrete in workspaces provide durability and reflectivity, while retaining original mosaic tiles in stair cores anchors circulation spaces to the building’s past. In retrofit projects of this scale, ensuring long-term performance often relies on rigorous concrete testing to verify material strength and durability within both new and retained structural elements. Restored timber handrails and carefully matched new stair elements reinforce a consistent tactile language across old and new components.
The integration of contemporary building services demonstrates a detailed engagement with historic construction. Chilled beams are aligned with the original radial ceiling coffers, allowing modern environmental systems to be accommodated within the existing geometry. Deep façade articulation continues to serve both aesthetic and environmental functions, reinforcing the coherence of the brutalist detailing.
Environmental Retrofit and Public Realm Transformation
The project reframes infrastructure originally designed around automobile use into spaces that prioritise pedestrians and cyclists. Retained access ramps now function as cycle routes, leading to extensive storage and changing facilities within the basement. This reorganisation shifts the experiential focus from vehicle movement to human circulation.
Environmental strategies are embedded within the existing structure. The repaired façade provides passive shading, while high-performance replacements meet contemporary thermal standards. Low-carbon heating and cooling systems are integrated without altering spatial proportions, demonstrating how environmental upgrades can coexist with heritage constraints.
At ground level, previously service-driven external areas are converted into accessible public spaces that link the tower and block. The conversion of a former petrol station canopy into a café and the reconfiguration of surrounding surfaces transform residual infrastructure into active civic interfaces, reinforcing the building’s role in the city’s everyday life.
About Squire & Partners
Squire & Partners is an architecture and design practice with experience spanning more than four decades, recognised internationally for work that is informed by the history and cultural context of each site. Its portfolio ranges from large-scale urban masterplans to bespoke interior fit-outs, encompassing workplace, residential, hotel, retail, education, and public projects. The practice combines traditional and emerging technologies with a rigorous approach to craft, construction, and detailing, supported by dedicated in-house teams for interior design, modelmaking, and visualisation.
Credits and Additional Notes
- Client: Seaforth Land and QuadReal
- Structural engineers: Pell Frischmann
- MEP consultants: Atelier Ten (MEP and Sustainability)
- Landscape designers: Gustafson Porter + Bowman
- Construction company: BAM Construction (Main Contractor)
- Heritage Consultant: Donald Insall Associates
- Quantity Surveyor: Gardiner & Theobald
- Development Manager and Project Manager: Avison Young
- Planning Consultant: Gerald Eve
- Approved Building Inspector: Sweco
- Enabling and Demolition Works: Erith
- Restoration Contractor: Paye Stonework & Restoration
