Squire & Partners Completed a Sensitive Refurbishment
Kalin Ned — February 19, 2026 — Art & Design
References: squireandpartners
Squire & Partners, an architecture and design practice with four decades of experience, has completed a sensitive refurbishment and extension of the iconic Grade II-listed Space House in London's Covent Garden for Seaforth Land and QuadReal.
As part of the project, Squire & Partners transformed the Brutalist landmark into 255,000 square feet of high-quality workspace, contemporary retail space, and improved public realm while preserving and celebrating its original 1968 architecture by Richard Seifert and Partners. The ambitious retrofit removed later interventions to expose the distinctive cylindrical tower with pre-cast cruciform façade and Y-shaped columns. The architects added two floors of office accommodation to the tower and a single-storey extension to the rectilinear block, created expansive roof terraces with meeting rooms and a clubhouse, and reinvented car-centric elements by converting a former car park into cycle storage for 600 bikes with showers, lockers, and changing facilities.
Image Credit: Gareth Gardner
As part of the project, Squire & Partners transformed the Brutalist landmark into 255,000 square feet of high-quality workspace, contemporary retail space, and improved public realm while preserving and celebrating its original 1968 architecture by Richard Seifert and Partners. The ambitious retrofit removed later interventions to expose the distinctive cylindrical tower with pre-cast cruciform façade and Y-shaped columns. The architects added two floors of office accommodation to the tower and a single-storey extension to the rectilinear block, created expansive roof terraces with meeting rooms and a clubhouse, and reinvented car-centric elements by converting a former car park into cycle storage for 600 bikes with showers, lockers, and changing facilities.
Image Credit: Gareth Gardner
Trend Themes
1. Adaptive Reuse of Brutalist Buildings - Repurposing midcentury concrete landmarks into mixed-use developments opens avenues for value creation through heritage-led placemaking and modern amenity integration.
2. Vertical Additions and Roof Activation - Adding floors and transforming rooftops into terraces and clubspaces enables densification strategies that enhance usable square footage and premium tenant experiences without expanding footprints.
3. Car-to-cycle Infrastructure Conversion - Converting former car-dominant areas into large-scale bicycle storage and commuter facilities supports shifting urban mobility preferences and reduces dependence on parking provision.
Industry Implications
1. Commercial Real Estate - Owners and developers stand to benefit from repositioning aging assets into higher-yielding mixed-use offerings that attract modern occupiers and retail brands.
2. Architecture and Design Firms - Practices specializing in sensitive retrofits can capitalize on demand for interventions that balance preservation with contemporary workplace and public-realm needs.
3. Urban Mobility and Storage Solutions - Manufacturers and operators of cycle-storage, locker, and shower systems are positioned to support the conversion of vehicular infrastructure toward active-transport amenities.
7.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
