Offices Inspired by the Urban Landscape

By Editorial Staff - 1 October 2024

Comfort and well-being are the key words in the design of Chancery House, a workspace for Fora, within a recently renovated building in the heart of London. Norm Architects, in collaboration with dMFK Architects for the architectural part, designed the interiors redefining workspaces with a focus on people’s quality of life. The building rises above the renowned London Silver Vaults, a historic underground shopping arcade known for its historic silverware and jewelry stores, built in 1885. During the Second World War, the original aboveground building was bombed and later rebuilt in the 1950s.

Chancery House extends across nine floors, covering an area of 16,000 sq. m and incorporates the distinctive features of the existing building into the interiors, like the use of red bricks, sandstone, and concrete, integrating old and new seamlessly. In the reconfiguration of the building, terraces were created on various levels overlooking the interior courtyard, providing an outdoor space and promoting the entry of natural light.

Norm Architects paid special attention to the creation of a calming atmosphere, including both meeting rooms and spaces for teamwork, as well as a gym and a yoga room. The spaces are marked by a neutral color palette, that ranges from sand to earthy red, evoking the urban landscape of the city of London. Warm materials like wood and brick were used, along with fabrics with shades ranging from beige to hazelnut, in order to create a comfortable environment where people can work in peace.

On the ground floor of the building, visitors are welcomed in the reception area, where the continuity between exterior and interior is emphasized by red bricks that extend from the façade to the floor and steps, becoming an integral part of the room. Couches, armchairs, white curtains, and carpets complete the furnishings, giving a refined touch to the lobby. There is also a cafeteria and an area designated for communal work, surrounded by wooden partitions that enclose a long wooden table with office chairs designed by Norm Architects.

A metal staircase, wrapped in steel-clad surfaces, marks a distinct material change and provides access to the level below, in a symbolic journey through the historic Silver Vaults. In the center of the room of the lower level, there is a tall, imposing, square-shaped wooden table, surrounded by ocher fabric armchairs, around which to gather for moments of discussion and exchange of ideas.

The cafeteria is dedicated to conviviality and recreation: a lively place that meets a wide range of needs, it offers both quiet areas to work and spaces to relax and have a coffee. The color palette also consists of light and neutral tones, enhanced by wooden furniture, marble tables with steel bases, and fabric-covered benches.
The room features a view of the courtyard, filled with plants and flower beds that evoke the green of the nearby Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

© Jack Hobhouse, courtesy of dMFK Architects | The reception area, located on the ground floor of the building, was designed to integrate exterior and interior spaces through the continuation of the red brick façade along the floor and steps.

© Jack Hobhouse, courtesy of dMFK Architects

© Jack Hobhouse, courtesy of dMFK Architects | Ocher-colored couches, metal tables, a bookcase, and a long table surrounded by wooden stools create a welcoming, multifunctional environment, ideal for both relaxation and work.

© Jack Hobhouse, courtesy of dMFK Architects | The inner façade features a grid of copper-colored windows that integrate perfectly with the existing architecture. The creation of large windows allows an abundance of natural light inside, while also enhancing the relationship between indoors and outdoors.

© Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, courtesy of Norm Architects | A staircase leads to the lower level, where an imposing square wooden table is topped by a chandelier with pleated upholstery in the center of the room.

© Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, courtesy of Norm Architects

© Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, courtesy of Norm Architects | The lobby is enveloped by the warm red brick tones, enhanced by sand-colored armchairs, a low wooden table, and a rope rug.

Location: London, UK
Client, FF&E Design and Procurement Consultant: Fora
Completion: 2023
Gross Floor Area: 16,000 m²Architect: dMFK Architects
Interior Design: Norm Architects
Main Contractor: Collins Construction

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