BuckleyGrayYeoman adds new layers to a 1920s building in east London

In the London neighbourhood of Whitechapel, a department store has been renovated into an office for London’s co-working community. Behind the thoughtful and elegant redesign is east London-based architecture practice BuckleyGrayYeoman (BGY), which has prided itself on preserving and celebrating the history of the building, while making it streamlined, airy and outward-looking.
Originally built in the 1920s and designed as a Wickham’s department store, this ‘Harrod’s of the east-end’ articulated its glamour and status through a grand neo-classical façade. Yet, as history has it, in the centre of the façade one stubborn clockmaker, Spiegelhalter, refused to sell up his shop and disrupted the Wickham’s vision – just one of the humourous stories to be told.
Amr Assaad, architect and associate director at BGY, made sure that these colourful stories are embedded across the design through material detailing and light layers of reconfiguration. BGY decided to preserve the Spiegelhalter shop façade, polishing up its typographic signage, and even drawing attention to it, by making this the entry to the office known as Dept W. ‘It’s a David and Goliath story,’ says Assaad.
Exterior of the building showing the restored ‘Spiegelhalter Bros ltd’ sign.
Restored original brickwork welcomes visitors into the open-air cobbled entry, tucked just behind the Spiegelhalter façade. A short journey through this friendly courtyard, a little retreat from the busy high street, and a metal-framed glazed inner façade marks entry to the minimal lobby, where again architectural details such as the brickwork and a timber staircase beyond, are allowed to do the talking. It’s remarkable how this simple space-making move changes the experience of entering the office – it could now be compared to that of entering a gallery or cultural space.
A public café with a with a glazed façade beside the office entrance creates even more openness on the high street. Inside, there are high ceilings and original terrazzo floors in the events space, as well as some smart meeting rooms for hire.
The restoration of the original 1920s oculus.
Across the rest of the building, the new BGY design brings order to a previously chaotic arrangement. Interior walls were removed at every opportunity to create vast open plan spaces with original wooden flooring restored. New outdoor terraces have been woven into the fabric of the building by strengthening existing roof space, and a central double lift shaft opens up at each level to light-filled spaces connected to outdoor access. The beauty of the space lies in how unique architectural moments of history have been combined with contemporary design.
The crowning glories on the third floor are the two restored concave stained-glass oculi, preserved and supported with new structures that allows light to positively bounce through the space between the new sky-lights opened up by BGY – it's heavenly. In the 1920s department store, these oculi would have crowned elaborate staircases. Quite modestly, Assaad sees the BGY design as just another layer of history onto the building and the patchwork fabric of Whitechapel high street.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the BuckleyGrayYeoman
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
At Patina Maldives, sustainability and luxury blend harmoniously
Luxury resort Patina Maldives recently partnered with natural skincare brand Haeckles to craft a bespoke wellbeing range
By Mary Cleary Published
-
Cast House by Bureau de Change offers a contemporary take on an Edwardian home
Concrete tiers bring a distinctive edge to Cast House, Bureau de Change’s bold reimagining of a London Edwardian home
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Saint Laurent unites with Juergen Teller on career-spanning exhibition (and it comes with merch)
Saint Laurent is the official sponsor of Juergen Teller’s upcoming ‘i need to live’ Paris exhibition, and has also created an exclusive lifestyle collection adorned with the photographer’s works
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Arc Polo Farm’s charred timber clubhouse underpins its updated Surrey complex
Arc Polo Farm by DROO in Surrey, UK brings together Japanese sensibility and English countryside in a project dedicated to its animal residents and the beloved sport
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A sleek country house in the south of England maximises views and efficiency
Adam Knibb Architects has completed a timber country house that’s designed to gradually bed into the landscape
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
One Casson Square penthouse is the perfect setting to enjoy iconic London views
The One Casson Square penthouse interior by designer Portia Fox has been revealed in London, filled with bespoke furniture and captivating art
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
RIBA Photo Festival 2023 explores photography and the built environment
The RIBA Photo Festival 2023 runs 8 – 11 November, exploring photography and its powerful relationship with architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
An art collector’s home blends bold pieces to craft a serene domestic haven
A collector’s home in London’s Kensington has been thoroughly reimagined by Edo Mapelli Mozzi of Banda
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Georgie Wolton’s No. 34 Belsize Lane in Camden gets Grade II listing
No. 34 Belsize Lane in Camden, London, by Georgie Wolton, is recognised as a modernist gem
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
One Crown Place apartment designs bring colour, fun and individuality to City living
One Crown Place apartment design by Angel O'Donnell is revealed, bringing fun and colour to City living
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
2023 RIBA Stirling Prize: the winner revealed
The 2023 RIBA Stirling Prize winner has been revealed, as the John Morden Centre is announced this year's best building
By Ellie Stathaki Published