Postmodern masterpiece in London will become luxury office space

Mere months after officially becoming the United Kingdom’s youngest landmarked building, the submarine-inspired postmodern icon at No 1 Poultry in London has been cleared for a controversial renovation. A 2015 renovation proposal sparked protest from the country’s PoMo architecture lovers, who criticized plans to eliminate the 1997 structure’s ground-level colonnades. The outcry inspired protections for architect James Stirling’s existing design, and the building was designated as a Grade II-listed site.

But now, a new renovation plan has been approved for the building, which will not infill the colonnades but will enlarge windows and entrances while upgrading the interior into luxury office space. Both the rejected and approved proposals come from Buckley Gray Yeoman, which aims to make the building a creative hub catering to a “design-led” clientele.

Construction should kick off soon, finishing by the end of the year. The end result will be a full 110,000 square feet of offices and 25,000 square feet of additional retail space. The top-floor restaurant, Coq D’Argent, will remain.

Architect Siggi Wernik, who opposed the original alterations, said of the new plan: “James Stirling always recognized that his buildings should adapt to meet modern requirements. Although I am sure he would not have made proposals as shown in the revised application, I am confident that the significant elements of the Stirling design will remain intact.”

Via: Archinect, Architects Journal