In Clerkenwell, a historic printworks has received a contemporary refurbishment and upgrade from Shoreditch-based architecture practice BuckleyGrayYeoman.
The vast 115,000 sq ft space stretches across ten floors, two of which were added on with a steel-clad rooftop extension by the architects. The space will soon be filled with the creative-tech-type businesses that flock to the Silcon Roundabout hub for its connectivity and kudos. And at the top, six duplex apartments will have roof terraces and private access.
‘The size of this former print works has offered us the scope to create a lively and characterful focal point for the working life of the area, which is being transformed by the imminent arrival of the Elizabeth Line,’ says Matt Yeoman, Director of BuckleyGrayYeoman.
The vast atrium space at Herbal House in Clerkenwell.
BuckleyGrayYeoman retained the industrial character of the printworks that was originally constructed in 1928 for the Daily Mirror. Yet its use evolved from tabloid turnover, to artistic production, as the building later became part of Central St Martins College of Art and the London College of Printing. The design stripped back the buiding to its original materials revealing original brickwork and stone detailing.
While the existing loading bay was converted to create a triple-height space that extends up from the basement, linking the ground floor and upper ground spaces together. In the spirit of the legacy of the printworks, the original Crittal windows were replaced with visually similar contemporary versions. While new additions included a new circulation core and a new vertical lightwell that brings natural light through the centre of the building down to the lower levels.
The entrance foyer at Herbal House.
Left: ‘Stool_One’, £247 each by Konstantin Grcic, for Magis
Herbal House interiors
Left: ‘OLIVO’ armchair, £220, by iSimar (left shot) ‘Bunny Lounger: Special Edition’ in Black and Grey, $480, by Bend Goods. Right: ’Daphine LED floor lamp’, £497, by Tommaso Cimini for Lumina, from Aram Store.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the BuckleyGrayYeoman website
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