20 Grafton Street sits on a prominent corner within the Mayfair Conservation Area. Today, the building feels elegant and welcoming, with a bright, refined reception finished in warm natural materials and gently scalloped walls. A new sixth-floor terrace opens views across the rooftops of Mayfair, while external amenity is provided on every level. Retail at ground floor, high-quality workspace above and generous end-of-journey facilities together create a contemporary headquarters befitting its address.
- Location
- Mayfair, London
- Size
- 32,000 sqft
- Client
- W.RE
The existing building had a strong position but lacked presence and amenity. W.RE’s brief was to reimagine it as a high-performing mixed-use development – improving the quality of the workspace, strengthening the ground floor and creating valuable outdoor spaces. The ambition was to deliver a headquarters suitable for Mayfair, while retaining and enhancing as much of the original structure as possible to minimise waste.
Wellbeing, flexibility and sustainability were central from the outset. The scheme needed to create lighter, healthier workspaces, improve the arrival experience and introduce external areas. We also set out to future-proof the building by designing in adaptability and targeting robust environmental credentials, including BREEAM Excellent.
Before and After
Our interventions were precise and strategic. A new rooftop extension introduces a sixth-storey terrace with views over Grafton Street. Additional outdoor amenity is provided on each level, encouraging fresh air and informal working. At ground floor, an infill extension delivers valuable retail space. The reception was reconfigured and refined, using natural materials and soft forms to create a calm, uplifting first impression.
Internally, the building was carefully upgraded to support contemporary working. Luxurious end-of-journey facilities encourage active travel, while improved services and envelope performance enhance comfort and efficiency. Throughout, the aim was to balance permanence and delicacy: retaining structure where possible, adding quality where it mattered most, and ensuring every new element felt integrated. The result is a BREEAM Excellent, WELL Enabled headquarters – elegant, adaptable and quietly ambitious.
“This project is a testament to the power of adaptive reuse. dMFK has managed to breathe new life into this space while maintaining its historical charm.”
Andres Singer, CEO at SmartKnock
