St Bartholomew House
*A project undertaken by Rob Beacock in his role as a Director at / Consultant to tp bennett
Once a bank, this Grade II-listed building had become used as a ‘Foyer’ facility, providing 27 bedsits for people emerging from homelessness. Funding had ended in 2012.
Owners and affordable housing providers Soho Housing Association saw an opportunity to reinvest funds elsewhere by converting the upper floors of the building to 17 prime residential apartments.
Converting a listed historic building with insensitive alterations that had seen many of the original internal features stripped out presented a challenge: to identify and restore the original tiling that decorated the grand central staircase; to salvage and restore the original fire doors with their copper light glazing; to survey the remaining fragments of the original plaster mouldings and replicate them in the rooms of the new apartments.
The new apartments were formed without loss to the building’s original fabric.
St Bartholomew House is a neighbour to the Grade I listed Great St Bartholomew church grounds. The scheme provided contextual improvements for its historic neighbour through the removal of late 20th century metal fire escape staircase and the restoration of its war memorial. The refurbishment work was carried out whilst maintaining the continued operation of the building’s ground floor restaurant tenant - the Michelin starred Club Gascon.
It now sits in the heart of the City’s residential growth area.
Client: United House Developments & Soho Ltd
Location: London, UK
Discipline: Architecture
Sector: Residential
Size: 1,500 sqm
Status: Completed
Awards:
Housing Design Awards 2015 Finalist