The London-based practice will lead the ‘comprehensive reimaging’ of 1 St John’s Square Gate House in Farringdon, having been selected for the role by the building’s new owners, Kajima Properties Europe.
Dating back to 1963, the 2,500m2 office was designed by Richard Seifert & Partners and sports an exposed reinforced concrete frame with a glass mosaic and marble detail running up its east face.
The building will now be modernised to improve its performance both for office workers and in energy performance and sustainability. The developer said it was aiming for a ‘best-in-class’ workspace.
The design team will be led by a core group from within Carter Gregson Gray, including directors Jack Carter, Julian Gregson and Kevin Gray, plus architect Abigail Glancy.
The site has been subject to a number of previous planning permissions. A GPAD-designed application to refurbish and extend the building received approval in 2021. However, while the interior office space was upgraded, the planned roof extensions were never built.
It is not known whether the developer will look to build upon these existing consents, or if Carter Gregson Gray will take the project in an entirely different direction.
The plans which have been approved for the Gate House include the preservation of the buildings distinctive, post-war modernist design, especially the mosaic element of the façade.
Kajima Properties Europe, which acquired the site in December, will look to add the project to a growing list of London workspace sites, which includes sites such as 77 Coleman Street, 16 Berners Street and 27 Soho Square.
Carter Gregson Gray has recently won planning permission for a redevelopment and refurbishment of the King Edward Court offices in Paternoster Square in the City of London.