Berwick Works Building, UK, London Mixed-Use Development, Soho Architecture Images

Berwick Works Building in Soho

9 July 2020

Berwick Works Building

Design: Alexander Martin Architects

Location: Berwick Street, Soho, London, UK

The project is a mixed-use development of three Victorian industrial buildings that form a prominent corner on Berwick Street, Soho. The Berwick Works buildings, originally built as a warehouse and workrooms for the costume industry, had become threadbare. The redevelopment aimed to restore their understated style and make improvements to keep in line with the extensive rebuilding that, for better or worse, is occurring in Soho.

Identified as an unlisted building of merit within the Conservation area, AMA achieved planning consent for two additional floors, plus further extensions to the back and side of the building. A key strategy was to maximise the retail frontage and create a new dedicated entrance to the upper floor workspaces, accessed via a double-height reception lobby along Livonia Street.

Internally, a single circulation core was created, with a new lift, providing access to open office spaces which occupy each floor laterally. Large windows frame magnificent views of the surrounding urban fabric. These same views are also enjoyed from two roof terraces.

The design embeds the buildings within the historical character of Berwick Street. Externally, black plasterwork together with black windows and shopfronts complement the existing London brick.

Internally, white painted walls, brickwork and terrazzo are interwoven with bespoke metalwork, giving a visual link as you travel through the space: the sheets of perforated metal and the continuous line of the handrail evoke fabric and thread, recalling the textile origins of the building.