Sheppard Robson completes a vivid office building set in lush landscaping in west London

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Jack Hobhouse

Sheppard Robson has replaced a “dour 70s block and a barren windswept podium” with a crisply angular office building that presents a brighter and more inviting face to Hammersmith, west London.

Providing 22,500 square of flexible office space and 970 square metres of retail space, the scheme is not arranged in a single mass, like its predecessor on the site, but in two parallel wings that are connected by a central core, generating a large single floorplate intended to provide the flexibility to accommodate different configurations and tenants. “The reconfiguration of the development’s plan also allows the building to be stepped back from Hammersmith Road, creating opportunities for vibrant civic spaces to be integrated throughout”, says the architect.

A new landscaped piazza at the front of the development leads into ground-floor retail and reception areas. A grand arch frames a landscaped staircase and funicular lift, which connects the high street and piazza to a rear podium park, mediating an eight-metre change of level. “Open and green spaces weave throughout the building, offering a constant visual connection to its many natural design features”, says the architect.

The facades are composed of red angled anodised aluminium window surrounds, which are intended to “create a dialogue with the architectural language of the adjacent Conservation Area, where terracotta brick is commonplace”, says the architect. Made with organic red dye, the angled aluminium panels are tailored to their orientation, minimising solar gain and creating “dynamic” elevations which respond to the changing levels of light during the day.

Interiors “have been designed with the development’s civic setting in mind”, says designer ID:SR. “The ground floor functions as an extension of the public piazza, evoking a generous civic hall, while featuring a variety of more intimate settings to promote collaborative working. The interior draws on the English tradition of Arts and Crafts fused with industrial heritage, reflecting the history of the Hammersmith neighbourhood. The use of raw materials—as featured in the open-grid metal ceilings and lighting details—melds with hand-crafted furniture to create an atmosphere that is at once familial and industrial”.

The reception is marked by an artwork installation designed by Sheppard Robson architect and artist Patricia de Isidoro. Titled ‘Three thousand Threads’, it acknowledges all the hands involved in the crafting of the building.

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