0247 Forty Princess Street

The design for Forty Princess Street sees two Grade II Listed former shipping and textile warehouse buildings (Eastern House & Langley Buildings) coherently unified and rationalised to provide fully accessible office accommodation with contemporary building services installations.

The two buildings had been historically conjoined and crudely altered to form a single building split across 5 split level upper floor plates and basements, interconnected by over 40 internal staircases and a warren of corridors. After falling into disrepair, and as a result of the significant and piecemeal twentieth century alterations, many of the buildings historic features had been lost or damaged.

The design interventions include;

A new circulation core, consisting of twin lifts and stairs, which slots sensitively into the former lightwell shared between the buildings to minimise impact on historic fabric. Topped with a new fully glazed rooflight, daylight continues to penetrate the new core into the office suites, recognising the historic significance of the lightwell.
New toilet accommodation and building services risers complete the modernisation of the landlord’s zones, whilst fully refurbished floor plates to Cat A and Cat B specification provide new office suite accommodation.
Significant reconfiguration of the Princess Street elevation, to create a new street level entrance, which also serves to visually declutter the façade and provide fully accessible lift and stair access from street level up to a new arrival and reception space.
Internal reception/ lounge areas to provide informal meeting and work spaces, supported by a fully hosted reception with refreshment station.
Reconfigured basement levels to provide end of trip facilities for active travel, with cycle parking, showers and changing facilities and an independently accessed space for a gym operator.
Mansard profile new rooftop extension to provide additional net lettable floor space.
Rationalisation of building plant areas and M&E installations to be less visually obtrusive.
Building fabric repairs and sensitive incorporation of retained historic features into the new designs.