Salvation Army, 101 Queen Victoria Street, EC4 London, UK

The Salvation Army owned 99/101 Queen Victoria Street, but no longer needed the whole building; the redevelopment released over 8,000m² of lettable office space, effectively providing a new building at no cost to the Army. The new development was designed as two independent buildings - one the Salvation Army headquarters, the other speculative offices; two separate parts with a consistent elevational treatment of the larger whole.

The brief: ‘Modern in design, frugal in operation and evangelical in purpose’. Full-height glazing provides views in and out, creating a working environment which is open, welcoming and transparent. Imagery and signage on the glass link the religious with the secular, expressing the ethos of the Army and welcoming its visitors. The chapel, on the first floor, hangs over the entrance into the external public space, radiating a golden light at night.