A partnership with dMFK Architects and Norm Architects, the extensive retrofitting of Chancery House – The Office Group’s (TOG) newest property – has resulted in a nearly 12,000-sq-m co-working space. Located above London’s Silver Vaults, the eight-storey landmark was built in 1885 – once the accompanying safe deposit site – and rebuilt in 1953 after being levelled in WWII. TOG’s brief: reunite the exterior with the original architectural language, revitalize the interiors, create a series of wellbeing-oriented workspaces and put sustainability at the core of the design. 

‘By opening up the building and enhancing its relationship with its context, we were able to create interesting views to green spaces, bring natural light into the interior and lower floors with carefully planned courtyards and lightwells, and give the building a new lease on life,’ says Ben Knight, director of dMFK Architects. People have a range of usable space: there is a ground-floor café, library, event space and multiple lounges on the first few floors, bolstering the activity-specific workspaces, break-out rooms and social zones. Wellness areas – like exercise studios and a multifunctional meditation- and -prayer room – are plenty. 

The colour scheme is largely neutral, featuring a wealth of wood, brick, sandstone and textile details. Finishes in stainless steel are a nod to the Silver Vaults below. The building is on track to achieve Platinum-level WELL certification, empowered by multiple interventions. One was Spacehub’s transformation of the building’s car park into a public-accessible urban garden. Alternative transportation is encouraged by the facilities, which now have end-of-journey amenities like bike stores, showers and changing rooms. Chancery House’s cladding and paving also saw an update, with WasteBasedBricks by StoneCycling. And photovoltaic panels produce clean energy for the large workspace.