The former Royal Mail sorting office on New Oxford Street in central London has been transformed by Architect firm Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM). The property, which was derelict for over 20 years, has been brought back to life, re-instating this prominent site and reconnecting the building to the city with a new mix of office, retail, residential and community uses. SCP Contracts worked with AHMM to specify furniture for the new spaces.
The lower half of the existing, generously-scaled frame, is retained and a series of mezzanine levels inserted into the centre of its plan. Original beams are left exposed, lending a distinct industrial character to the new use as office floors. The building’s top half is replaced and volumetrically configured to create a focal corner that is befitting the location at the intersection of five key London roads.
The building is clad with a system of frames, windows and solids. AHMM employ varying depths and scales across the building to unite the existing structure while responding to both the surrounding context and internal uses. The expression of junctions and connections between the fabricated, self-finished components of the cladding system, gives a richness of detail that emphasises the factory language of the original building.
In total, the mixed-use development accommodates eight floors of office uses and seven floors of residential, above a variety of public uses including shops, cafés, galleries, and a GP surgery for the local community. The development also makes a significant contribution to the public realm by creating a new public space on Museum Street, reactivating the historic route of Dunn’s Passage.
Products specified:
Carl Hansen, CH104 sofa
Carl Hansen, CH103 sofa
Carl Hansen, CH401 chair
Carl Hansen, CH101 armchair
Carl Hansen, CH88P chair
Knoll, Florence Knoll coffee table square
Knoll, Florence Knoll bench
Knoll, Saarinen coffee tables
Knoll, Saarinen side tables
Knoll, Saarinen chairs with arms
Knoll, Avio bespoke bench
Knoll, 01 Swivel lounge chair
Knoll, Avio sofa
Knoll, Krusin coffee table
Cassina, Sapri office table
Arper, Kinesit 4835 office chair
BTC, Task Overreach floor light
DCW, Mantis floor light
