Orms transforms Grade II listed offices at 16 Old Bailey, retaining 92% of the original structure

Meticulous refurbishment of grade II listed Britannia House and it’s 1990s extension retains 92% of the existing structure, and 74% of the existing double-glazed unitised cladding.

The project reorganises internal layouts, adding two floors to create an uplift of 23,000 sq ft in the 115,000 sq ft building. 

Occupying a prominent position opposite the Central Criminal Court, 16 Old Bailey delivers high quality, healthy workspace to support post-pandemic recovery in London’s Square Mile. The building has been let to IPG Media Brands.

Architecture and design practice Orms has refurbished and extended 16 Old Bailey in the City of London for client Endurance Land. The refurbishment has completely reinvented the experience of the building, creating a contemporary workspace with 115,000 sq ft of premium office accommodation arranged over ten floors.

The refurbishment supports the ESG commitments of client and occupiers, upgrading the accommodation to EPC A and BREEAM Excellent and increasing the floor area from 92,000 sq ft to 115,000 sq ft, while retaining 92% of the existing structure and 74% of the existing cladding.

Orms worked closely with Endurance Land to develop its approach to high quality environments that provide a healthy workspace. 16 Old Bailey has achieved a BREEAM Excellent accreditation, EPC A and a WiredScore Platinum rating and has attracted the occupier IPG Mediabrands.

John McRae, Director at Orms said: 
"16 Old Bailey creates high quality, healthy workspace in a fantastic location within the Square Mile, with a beautifully crafted façade to Old Bailey. 

Working closely with the client, we were able to bring 16 Old Bailey up to contemporary standards of sustainability, comfort and wellbeing while retaining 92% of the existing building. This refurbishment ensures this building will continue to make a valuable contribution to London’s core financial and legal district for many years to come.”

Jonathan Fletcher, Endurance Land said:

“Working with a very forward-thinking professional team were able design in line with our ESG strategy to implement a best in class refurbished while respecting the original architecture. Orms have done an excellent job in successfully retrofitting the space that is now home to international media brand IPG Media and in turn the strong asset environmental credentials support the tenants view of a greener world!”

Occupying a prominent position in the Square Mile, 16 Old Bailey is formed of two buildings: The Grade II listed Britannia House, which was originally built in 1912 for the Chatham and Dover Railway Company, and a western extension completed in 1999 on the site of the former Holborn Viaduct Station. Orms’ big idea was to unify the office wings into a simple floor plate by relocating the main lift and stair core centrally within the plan, creating the opportunity to increase the usable floor area by infilling a redundant atrium. The practice added two new floors, increased floor to ceiling heights and provided nine landscaped outdoor terraces landscaped by Robert Myers Associates, which feature impressive views towards The City of London. 

The reception area has been transformed into a double-height space with contemporary take on the sense of elegance engendered by the Grade II listed Edwardian baroque façade of 16 Old Bailey, which has been preserved as part of the work. A prominent helical staircase leads to end of journey facilities on lower ground floor. Light grey terrazzo with brass detailing covers the floor, with Portland stone at the upper level, while informal meeting spaces with oak joinery and soft seating create a space reminiscent of a hotel lobby to welcome visitors. The same materials and colour palette can be found throughout the building’s public areas. 

Orms worked closely with cladding consultants Cladtech to assess the condition of the existing façade, identifying that only small areas of new façade were required, rather than full-scale replacement. German cladding specialist Dobler-MBM replicated the original design to deliver a seamless completed product. 

The dynamic design stage assessment for the whole building indicates that Orms’ refurbishment achieves overall emissions of 595kg CO2e/sqm GIA and a LETI rating of B. This was achieved through the significant amount of structural and facade retention which was found to be a particularly efficient way of reducing emissions. A full façade replacement would have added an estimated 59kg CO2e/sqm GIA to what has been achieved. 

Team:

Client: Endurance Land 
Architect: Orms
Contractor: Knight Harwood 
Demolition Contractor: Deconstruct UK 
Structural Engineer: Heyne Tillett Steel
Services Engineer: GDM Partnership
Landscape Architect: Robert Myers Associates
Project Management: Avison Young
Quantity Surveyor: Quantem Consulting LLP
Fire consultant: The Fire Surgery
Approved Inspector: MLM Group (now Sweco)
Lighting Design: Hoare Lea
Planning Consultant: DP9
Heritage Consultant: Heritage Collective LLP (now HCUK Group)
Principal Designer: Jackson Coles
Cladding Consultant: Cladtech Associates
Transport Consultant: Systra
Building Management: Helix

Photographers: Alex Upton & TIm Soar