DSDHA's design for the conversion of this former office building on Wardour Street, in Soho’s Conservation Area, preserves the existing café at ground and basement levels and provides three contemporary double aspect apartments and a duplex penthouse, all with exceptional levels of daylight.
Moving away from the commonplace glossy warehouse aesthetic, the scheme sensitively reveals the history of this former print works: it strips back the built fabric to create a dialogue between the original structure, its later adaptations and the new contemporary interventions, which are sharply detailed and crafted but left deliberately raw, to reflect the site’s industrial past. The brick for instance is left exposed in certain areas, to visually connect the original 1885 London stock brick party walls with the red brick texture of the much newer fire-protected stair.
The rooftop accommodates a new discreet extension that offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the local mansard typology. The new roof form is a uniquely sculptural volume, clad in a bespoke profile zinc sheathing, which frames the eclectic character of Soho while cutting a series of spectacular views across the city.
Team:
Architect: DSDHA
Interior Design: Design Haus Liberty
Structural Engineer: Price & Myers
Cost Consultant: PT Projects
Planning Consultant: Turley Associates
Contractor: Collins Construction
