040 PROJECT 3
Natwest HQ, 250 Bishopsgate, London
The transformation of this bank’s head ofice set out to radically improve space, facilities and sustainability, while focusing on layouts that facilitate collaboration and promote well-being
LOM ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN has transformed a 20-year-old desk-centric building into an engaging and social head ofice for its client Natwest Group. Located at 250 Bishopsgate, a City of London landmark originally designed by EPR in 1998, the site was chosen as the bank’s future head ofice when Natwest streamlined its London ofice portfolio to two buildings.
The major retrofit set out to radically improve space, facilities and sustainability at the 11-storey glass and steel building. The project includes a new 300-seat conference centre on the ground floor, a new bank branch, meeting galleries, co-working floor, atrium garden, cafe and board facilities, together with the transformation of workspace throughout the building.
The design includes a creation of a flexible co-working floor, which replaces an old third- floor meeting centre and has been designed around human interaction, activity and views. The cafe kitchens support open-plan working and socialising, with a mix of desks and quiet corner workspaces enhanced by biophilia and neutral colours.
The workspace refresh across the remaining nine floors adopted a reuse-first approach to upcycle and rethink furniture and interiors, with a strong focus on flexible functionality, social space, and creating communities. Ceilings, storage, desks and chairs were repurposed to create a completely new working environment. Recycled desktops, mobile furniture and moveable walls are used to create adaptable ‘Flexi Zones’ for teamwork, collaboration and events.
A previously inaccessible ninth-floor roof terrace has been converted into a spacious and usable amenity roof garden – a peaceful oasis with mixed plants and fruit trees with striking views across the city. Alongside its very own herb garden, a plant-to-plate EvoGro system has been implemented to grow seed to produce within just seven days, providing fresh produce on-site with zero pesticides. Right down at basement level is the ‘Cycle Shed’: a fully equipped space with maintenance facilities, changing, showers and cycle storage now bringing new purpose to the former car park.
WORDS BY EMILY MARTIN
IMAGES BY NICHOLAS WORLEY
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