Arrival is defined by a calm, carefully detailed reception. In situ terrazzo, warm timber joinery and a bronzed steel fin screen anchor the space, integrating accessibility while keeping the room visually clear. The palette feels robust yet refined, giving the building a sense of permanence and ease. Across the common parts, bathrooms and office floors, this language continues, bringing coherence to everyday spaces and establishing Gough Square as a place people enjoy arriving at and spending time in.
- Location
- Gough Square, London
- Size
- 40,709 sqft
- Client
- Dorrington
The existing 32,300 sqft building was fully occupied but felt dated and sterile, with an anonymous reception that did little to express its central London address. Working with Dorrington, the brief was to improve the building’s quality and usability without unnecessary replacement, upgrading it while remaining sensitive to occupation and cost.
The ambition was pragmatic and value-led: invest precisely where it would count. Enhance arrival, resolve accessibility, upgrade everyday spaces and bring redundant areas back into use – increasing amenity, efficiency and rental attractiveness without rebuilding.
Before and After
A multi-phase strategy allowed works to be delivered while the building remained occupied. The first focus was the reception, where an awkward level change, anonymous styling and heavy existing structure created a difficult arrival. Our response introduces a carefully crafted interior, gently concealing the level change and placing a discreet platform lift behind a bronzed steel fin screen, improving accessibility while maintaining a composed, open space.
A tired basement was transformed into a wellness and end-of-trip hub, supported by a bespoke wayfinding system that guides people seamlessly through interior and exterior routes. Across floors and common parts, durable materials – terrazzo, refined metalwork, carefully detailed joinery – deliver continuity and longevity. The building now works harder, feels better to use and offers meaningful amenities that elevate everyday working life.
Bronze finishes in the Gough Square office building
