12
INSIGHTS
PRACTICE PROFILE Glyn Emrys © Alan Williams Emrys Architects
Kim Neville speaks to Glyn Emrys, director of Emrys Architects, about the practice’s evolution, its people-focused ethos and its longstanding commitment to fi nding new possibilities in existing buildings.
G
lyn Emrys founded his fi rst practice in 1994, during a recession, ostensibly not the most auspicious time to start a new venture. But, refl ecting on the decision to go it alone
three decades later, he explains what prompted the transition from employee to practice owner. “I have always been a doer and a maker, and I guess because of that, I always assumed that one day I would have my own practice.” When the practice he had been working for started making redundancies, Emrys made the bold decision to establish his own fi rm. Every practice’s fi rst project is memorable, and Emrys is no different. The fi rst major commission was the design of the main offi ce and trade showroom for Caterpillar Boots in London. Emrys recalls: “It was in an old warehouse building in Primrose Hill. It was very low budget, but it got us up and running.” Over the years, the practice has grown from a small studio into a multidisciplinary team working across a range of sectors. One of
the major milestones, Emrys recalls, was the design of the fi rst 24- hour library at Imperial College. It was a project whose relevance he only recently came to appreciate. “I realised the long-lasting relevance of this project when I saw it quoted in a book on co- working and how it began.” Another recession – in 2008 – marked another turning point for the practice, explains the architect, with its title formally becoming Emrys Architects during this period. Bringing things up to date, the practice recently completed its largest project – a major retrofi t scheme for department store Barkers of Kensington in west London. The project began as a competition during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Emrys triumphing over several established practices. “It started as a competition during Covid and we won it against some very good practices. It is our largest project to date, and has given us confi dence to back ourselves against larger practices.”
RETAIL SPECIALITIES
The practice has undertaken several key retail projects, including a deep retrofi t of department store Barkers of Kensington, costing £120m and covering nearly 53,000 m2 fl oor space © Emrys Architects
of
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108
