Albert Buildings, 49 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4
2 July 2026
Design: Emrys Architects
Location: junction of Queen Victoria Street, Cannon Street and Queen Street, City of London, England, UK
Emrys Architects secures planning consent for the revitalisation of Grade II-listed Albert Buildings in the City of London
Images by RGCGI
Emrys Architects has secured planning consent for the sensitive refurbishment, restoration and adaptive reuse of Albert Buildings, a prominent Grade II-listed Victorian landmark occupying a distinctive triangular site at the junction of Queen Victoria Street, Cannon Street and Queen Street in the heart of the City of London.
The proposals will transform the building’s 2,478 sqm accommodation into a mixed-use destination comprising 39 serviced apartment units above retained retail and restaurant space.
Constructed in 1872 as speculative office accommodation, Albert Buildings is one of the City’s most recognisable nineteenth-century commercial buildings. Defined by its richly ornamented stone façades, repeated arched windows and elegant curved corner addressing Queen Victoria Street and Cannon Street, the building has remained largely unchanged for more than 150 years. Today, however, changing patterns of workplace occupancy have left significant areas underused, presenting an opportunity to secure the building’s long-term future through a carefully considered programme of renewal.
The proposals will transform the partially vacant serviced office building into high-quality serviced apartments while retaining and celebrating the historic character that defines the building’s significance. The scheme has been developed through close engagement with the City of London and heritage stakeholders, ensuring that new interventions respect both the architectural integrity of Albert Buildings and its important role within the Bow Lane Conservation Area.
A central aspect of the project is the restoration and enhancement of the building’s historic fabric. Existing stone façades will be carefully conserved, while a long-term strategy for the reinstatement of coherent and historically sympathetic shopfronts will strengthen the quality of the public realm and improve the building’s relationship with the surrounding streets. The proposals draw on original architectural features and historic precedents to create a more unified and appropriate street-level presence over time.
Internally, the building will be comprehensively upgraded to meet contemporary standards of accessibility, safety and comfort. A new central circulation core incorporating an accessible lift and rationalised staircase will provide step-free access throughout the accommodation while significantly improving fire safety and operational efficiency. The proposals will also deliver accessible guest accommodation and modern servicing infrastructure, ensuring the building can continue to function successfully for decades to come.
The most visible intervention is at roof level, where a series of fragmented and unsympathetic additions accumulated over many decades will be removed. Existing rooftop structures, external escape stairs and plant enclosures currently create a cluttered and incoherent roofscape that detracts from the elegance of the original architecture. Emrys Architects’ design replaces these disparate elements with a carefully composed roof extension that unifies the building’s upper levels and restores a sense of architectural order.
Clad in dark-grey zinc shingles, the new rooftop accommodation takes inspiration from traditional roof forms found throughout the conservation area while clearly expressing its contemporary origin. The extension follows the building’s distinctive curved geometry and remains set back from the principal façades, ensuring that the historic architecture continues to dominate views from the surrounding streets. Rather than competing with the original building, the new addition has been designed as a restrained and complementary intervention that enhances the overall composition.
The proposals also remove visually intrusive external escape stairs and rationalise rooftop plant, replacing ad hoc additions with a coherent architectural language that strengthens the building’s silhouette within the City skyline. Extensive townscape analysis and consultation informed the final design, which was refined through the pre-application process to ensure it responded appropriately to key views and neighbouring heritage assets.
Sustainability has been embedded throughout the project. By retaining and adapting the existing structure, the scheme preserves substantial embodied carbon while extending the useful life of a significant heritage asset. The project will also benefit from previously approved high-performance heritage glazing and upgraded building services, contributing to improved operational performance while respecting the building’s listed status. An EPC B rating is being pursued as part of the wider refurbishment strategy.
Occupying a pivotal location opposite the Grade I-listed Church of St Mary Aldermary and surrounded by an exceptional collection of historic and contemporary architecture, Albert Buildings has long been a defining feature of the local townscape. Through careful restoration, adaptive reuse and considered contemporary intervention, the project secures a sustainable future for one of the City’s most distinctive Victorian landmarks while preserving the qualities that have made it an enduring part of London’s architectural heritage.
Glyn Emrys at Emrys Architects, added:
“Albert Buildings is one of the most distinctive and recognisable Victorian commercial buildings in the City of London. Our approach has been guided by a desire to celebrate the building’s extraordinary architectural character while ensuring it remains relevant, accessible and economically viable for future generations. By carefully restoring the historic fabric, rationalising decades of unsympathetic alterations and introducing a sensitive contemporary roof extension, the proposals provide Albert Buildings with a renewed sense of purpose while preserving its important contribution to the City’s townscape.”
Emrys Architects
Emrys Architects are an award-winning practice renowned for creating thoughtfully designed, high-quality buildings that honour their surroundings, enhance their context, and stand the test of time. The Farringdon-based studio works across the UK on projects ranging from commercial to small quirky projects, housing, education, arts & culture, and large mixed-use developments. The 40-strong team have experience across architecture, interior design, urban and master planning, furniture design, graphic and exhibition design.
Website: https://www.emrysarchitects.com/
Instagram: @emrysarchitects
Facebook: @Emrys Architects
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Albert Buildings, 49 Queen Victoria Street – Building Information
Project Data
Project: Albert Buildings
Location: 49 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4N 4SA
Size: 39 aparthotel units across floors 1–5.
Client: Witton Properties Ltd
Architect: Emrys Architects
Planning Consultant: Rolfe Judd Planning
Heritage Consultant: Cornwallis Rumley
Energy & Sustainability Consultant: Milieu Consult
Fire Consultant: The Fire Surgery
Structural Engineer: David Akera
Existing Gross Internal Area (GIA): 2,380 sqm
Proposed Gross Internal Area (GIA): 2,478 sqm
Existing Gross External Area (GEA): 2,644 sqm
Proposed Gross External Area (GEA): 2,769 sqm
Existing:
Retail/restaurant: 823 sqm GIA
Offices: 1,555 sqm GIA
Total: 2,380 sqm GIA
Proposed:
Retail/restaurant: 763 sqm GIA
Aparthotel (Class C1): 1,637 sqm GIA
Total: 2,478 sqm GIA
Renders: RGCGI
Albert Buildings, 49 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4N 4SA images / information received 020726 from Emrys Architects
Location: Albert Buildings, 49 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4N 4SA, England, UK.
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