Located in the Fournier Street Conservation Area, a treasured part of town, where history, industry, immigration and culture are scrawled artfully across the architecture, the original warehouse building dating back to the mid 19th century was an important asset to the new design. The architects describe it as a ‘soft, textured shell into which new elements could be placed’.
With plenty of light-filled areas to play with, the architects cast a suspended staircase into the heart of the design. Somewhat of a statement staircase, the red metal construction unfolds like a piece of origami through the building, opening up sightlines and connecting people across the space. , from restaurateur Soren Jessen of city-worker favourite 1 Lombard street, perfect for a chic working lunch.Piercy & Company interpreted this ethos at the Brick Lane location through the ‘hotel-lobby type of arrival experience’ and the informal shared spaces, such as the residents’ lounge and kitchens, which are ‘detailed in rich, enduring materials and flow seamlessly without doors or barriers’, explain the architects.