082 FOCUS


Coming to market


12 Henrietta Street in London’s Covent Garden dates from the 1870s and started its life as a hotel. Cathy Hayward reports on its recent refurbishment for Royal London and transformation into speculative ofice space


THE MONOGRAM of Ashley’s Hotel is still visible on the newly refurbished façade of this historic building originally designed in a debased Italianate style with white brick and stone dressings. But little else remains inside the original space. In a £1.3m project, White Red Architects and main contractor BW have transformed it into a post-Covid working space, while still retaining the building’s personality and creating a character that will draw people to work here.


Te speculative office building can accommodate over 200 people, is made up of five storeys and provides 18,000ft2


of workspace space on the upper floors,


restaurant and office entrance at ground, and showers and bike storage in the basement. While the historic facade makes a real statement, the internal floors and core are more modern, dating from when the building was renovated in the early 2000s.


Te latest refurbishment took inspiration from the surrounding area and the nearby London Transport Museum. Te shared reception, visible from the street, doubles up as both a traditional reception, controlling the flow of people into the building, and also as a space that invites you to wait, socialise or work, making it a natural extension of the office spaces above.


A generous solid oak dining table occupies the centre of the space, inviting groups to sit and talk, while more discreet high benches around the perimeter and in the windows are placed for individuals to sit and work. Tis activity in the building’s entrance makes for a more attractive space to spend time and activates a previously dormant facade.


Right Racing green is used throughout, inspired by other buildings in Covent Garden


Colour and shape have been used to add character. Racing green is already present throughout much of Covent Garden and this classic colour has been carried through the building in paint, floor resin, handmade tiles and acoustic panels, gently linking the spaces together.


FREDDIE MARRIAGE


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