JCDecaux London’s Headquarters
Londres, Royaume-Uni
DF Real Estate
Lead architect : WILMOTTE & ASSOCIES ARCHITECTES
Structure engineer : ELLIOT WOOD
Landscaper : TOWNSHEND ASSOCIATES
6 500 sqm
2016
Extension, refurbishment and interior design of the JCDecaux head office.
JCDecaux's iconic headquarters in the heart of the UK is nestled in the elegant Paddington area of central London. Standing in close proximity to Edgware Road and the vibrant Paddington Basin, the headquarters offers an unrivalled location.
The site, which previously housed two separate office buildings erected in 1968 and 1970, as well as a pub, residential flats and commercial space, has undergone a spectacular transformation. The project is characterised by a comprehensive refurbishment to the highest office specification recommended by the British Council for Offices (BCO). The ambition is to redefine the modern workspace through a series of bold interventions: the extension of the reception area on the site of the existing pub, the reconfiguration of the 6th floor for a more harmonious silhouette, and the merging of the interior spaces of the two buildings for greater fluidity and coherence. The existing structure of the buildings has been completely stripped, with the exception of the facades of the residential units overlooking the conservation area.
In order to provide a larger reception area, structural modifications were necessary. The main façade was rebuilt using an elegant curtain wall system, with anodised aluminium fins emphasising the verticality of Praed Street, and the entire ground floor was refinished in Indian black granite, creating the podium for the retail and reception areas.
Due to the low ceiling height of the existing buildings, it was decided to conceal the majority of the services behind a central column (at a ceiling height of 2.2 m) running the length of the office, and then expose the pipework on either side above the workstations (at a ceiling height of 2.6 m). The undersurfaces and exposed pipework were then painted black to make them ‘disappear’ and give the impression of a higher ceiling.
