Plans have gone in to retrofit one of London’s best-known 1980s office buildings above Charing Cross Station.
Plans have gone in to retrofit one of London’s best-known 1980s office buildings above Charing Cross Station.
Developer Bridgemont wants to reinvent 1 Embankment Place rather than demolish it, retaining around 90% of the existing structure and floorplate and about 60% of the façade in one of Westminster’s largest retrofit-first commercial schemes.
Hopkins Architects has redesigned the landmark Terry Farrell building to deliver 35,000 sq m of Grade A office space while dramatically reducing its carbon footprint. The former PricewaterhouseCoopers headquarters will be stripped back internally, with new terraces, upgraded workplace facilities and improved amenities throughout.
The sustainability strategy centres on reuse. Existing gas-fired plant will be replaced by air source heat pumps as part of an all-electric heating and cooling system, while more than 180 photovoltaic panels are planned for the roof.
Operational energy use is expected to fall by around 70%, with the development targeting EPC A and BREEAM Excellent. A circular economy approach will also see materials recovered and reused wherever practical to cut whole life carbon.
The ground floor will also be opened up with new shops, cafés and restaurants, creating active frontages and improving pedestrian links along Villiers Street between the West End and the South Bank.
Re-imagined Villiers Street after 1 Embankment Place revamp
Max Farrell of LDN Collective, son of the building’s original architect Sir Terry Farrell, has advised the project team to ensure the refurbishment respects the building’s original design intent.
The professional team includes structural and civil engineer AKT II, MEP consultant Arup and cost consultant Turner & Townsend Alinea.
Construction is expected to take 36 months and support more than 1,000 jobs.