Located at the southern end of Berkeley Square in Mayfair, London, the landmark Lansdowne House site will be transformed with a new high quality and sustainable commercial building. The new building is designed to last for generations to come, and to achieve the highest possible standards for sustainability and wellbeing, targeting BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum.
The redevelopment will provide modern office and retail space and reconnect the building to the historic square through significant improvements to the surrounding public realm.
In total, there will be 10 storeys comprising 225,000 sq ft of premium office space. On the ground floor will be 14,000 sq ft of retail and restaurants, with units in Lansdowne Row purposely sized to attract smaller local retailers, serving the needs of residents and local workers.
The existing building is constrained by an inefficient layout of multiple structural cores, compounded by low floor to ceiling heights. In contrast, the redeveloped Lansdowne House will have far more generous floor plates with an independent, centralized core. In the future, this may be reconfigured or replaced without requiring wholesale demolition of the building.
Openable windows provide fresh air, and enhanced floor to ceiling heights maximise daylight penetration. This will have a positive impact on the wellbeing of building users while enabling the building to adapt to a changing climate.
The design follows classical principles inspired by the original Lansdowne House (built in 1768) and restores the building’s original ‘Garden and Pavilion’ relationship with the square. These classical proportions create a new building that better respects the character and history of the area.
As part of the new proposals, considerable upgrades will be made to the currently narrow and constricted public realm around the site. Pedestrianised areas will be revitalised and more public space provided, thereby reinstating the site’s natural connection to Berkeley Square.
The redevelopment will also include new amenities for modern occupiers, including an outdoor rooftop terrace that incorporates greening and biodiversity, and balconies on every floor overlooking Berkeley Square. In the basement will be 480 cycle spaces with showers, lockers and changing facilities.