Jamie Fobert Architects breathe new life into the Burlington Arcade with a new, old-fashioned, floor
Tucked between New Bond Street and the Royal Academy, running from Piccadilly through to Burlington Gardens, London’s Burlington Arcade is an ornate slice of retail history.
The covered gallery, designed by Samuel Ware and built in 1819, has been rebuilt and updated many times over the course of its 196-year existence but despite this, its appearance has remained largely unchanged; intricately-detailed arches span its entire length (it’s over two football pitches-long) separating each of its 17 bays, while light floods in through a vaulted glass ceiling. Beautiful as it is, the Regency arcade is a small-scale shopping concept that has become increasingly outdated - two similar arcades recently closed their doors for good in Knightsbridge - unable to compete with the flagships and shopping centres that surround it.
Determined to save Burlington from the same fate, its owner Meyer Bergman has been busy attracting a smart new team of tenants - Chanel Beaute, Eres, Maison Michel, Barrie and Frederic Malle have all set up shop - and have also been working with London architect Jamie Fobert, on a spectacular new floor.
Originally paved with thick austere slabs of York stone, the arcade’s floor was replaced in the 1960s and then the 1990s with a somewhat jarring terrazzo tile. Then in 2011, a glossy, but doomed proposal by Peter Marino provoked an outpouring of protest from retailers and customers. ‘Our goal was to design a floor that was contemporary on one hand but also grew out of the history of the place,’ says Fobert of his spiraling new design. Made from thousands of intricately cut pieces of dark British stone - comprising Burlington Slate Cumbria, Moorcroft Somerset, Ashburton Devon and Mendip Marble Somerset - the floor takes its design cues from the geometry of the arcade’s architecture and various 19th century British floor patterns. ‘It’s such a bizarre proposition for an architect to be asked to work with a space that’s 4 x 220 metres, and to do just a floor,’ says Fobert. ‘It was a great opportunity.’
After months of detailed research and experimentation, Fobert settled on a rhythmic, interlocking, three dimensional design that reflects the variety of the arcade’s curvilinear forms found on the arches and grill work. The stone was cut and dry laid in Italy - the only country with the expertise and laser technology required - before being shipped to London and laid by Tudor Stonework. A complex but subtle design, the dark stonework manages to flatter all of the existing shopfronts, appearing blue, green, brown and red all at once.
‘What I really like in our work is ambiguity. If we did something really modern it would be in sharp contrast to its surroundings. What’s great about this, is that most people will come in and think it’s from 1820,’ enthuses Fobert. ‘If people walk in and they don’t even notice it, that would be perfect for me. The floor shouldn’t compete with the arcade, it’s there to make it feel just that bit more luxurious.’
As well as an advanced non-slip coating, another practical benefit of the new floor is the abolishment of the stepped entrance, which has been replaced by a gently sloping ramp - a small change but one that has proved to be life-changing for one of the Burlington’s most loyal customers, who can now, every day, manoeuvre her wheelchair into the arcade completely unaided.
ADDRESS
Burlington Arcade
51 Piccadilly
London W1J 0QJ
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ali Morris is a UK-based editor, writer and creative consultant specialising in design, interiors and architecture. In her 16 years as a design writer, Ali has travelled the world, crafting articles about creative projects, products, places and people for titles such as Dezeen, Wallpaper* and Kinfolk.
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shops
Cornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
Pierre Jeanneret’s Chandigarh furniture meets South Asian diasporic art in an unusual London exhibition
Rajan Bijlani opens a show combining Pierre Jeanneret furniture for the Indian city of Chandigarh with works for sale by six artists of South Asian origin – in his own London townhouse
By Dal Chodha Published
-
Mud celebrates turning 30 with a new Islington store
To celebrate its 30th anniversary Mud opens a new Islington store, showcasing its Australian ceramics where beautiful design meets utility
By Jasper Spires Published
-
PAD London’s 16th edition is a blisteringly optimistic case for human achievement
At PAD London, collectible design is more than rarefied furniture; it is a compelling case for the uplifting power of craftsmanship at the dawn of the AI revolution
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
‘Natural gold’ straw weaving by Hanny Newton wins the inaugural QEST Sanderson rising star award
'I have been passionate and driven to champion straw embroidery as an exquisite, sustainable “natural gold”’: rising star Hanny Newton on winning the inaugural award
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Lucienne Day’s lesser-known silk textiles are a splendour of geometry and colour at Margaret Howell
Margaret Howell presents British designer Lucienne Day’s 'Silk Mosaics' in a solo exhibition, alongside the launch of the brand's 2025 calendar in homage to Day
By Tianna Williams Published
-
First look: Western Mongolia meets Kew Gardens in John Pawson and Oyuna Tserendorj’s cashmere throws
Architectural designer John Pawson and cashmere designer Oyuna Tserendor have collaborated on a cashmere throw collection inspired by Pawson’s 70m Lake Crossing in the Royal Botanical Gardens
By Scarlett Conlon Published
-
The Home of Sustainable Things is a trove of circular design for domestic life
The Home of Sustainable Things (HOST), is a homeware shop in London, focused on circular design to encourage mindful living and more conscious consumption
By Tianna Williams Published
-
British furniture brand Pinch celebrates 20 years of design excellence
UK-based furniture and lighting label Pinch marks two decades in the business with an impressive anniversary collection and a pop-up showroom in New York’s Tribeca
By Léa Teuscher Published