103-109 Wardour Street, W1 (Interiors) London, UK
Originally the office for Pathé Films, 103-109 Wardour Street has been reinterpreted and transformed by Sheppard Robson to house 13 luxury apartments, a gym and two duplex penthouses that frame remarkable views over Soho and Piccadilly.
Previous development of the building removed most of the original early 1900s building in 1996, retaining the ornate Portland stone Edwardian frontage and building a new structure behind it. This led to an inconsistency of quality, with heritage façade forming a veil that covered a building of lower design quality. The close partnership between Sheppard Robson and ID:SR, sought to reconcile this disparity in quality, creating a cohesive design that brought together old and new. The boundaries between interior and exterior have been blurred and – through the use fine materials and delicate colour – the promise of the building’s heritage has been fulfilled.
The major changes to the composition of the building include the replacement of the rear façade, reconfiguring this elevation to a more rational shape that is suitable for residential design. An additional level was added, which – along with the remodelling of the rooftop – created the opportunity to add two duplex penthouse apartments.
The interior spaces respond to the exterior, balancing luxurious and urban qualities, with hand-crafted objects and high quality materials that retain an edge of roughness and grain. Like the exterior, the interior spaces echo the building’s location and former use. When entering, people pass through a sculptural patinated black steel portal. The surface of this is punctured with small cut-outs, reminiscent of sprocket hole edging of camera film, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow.
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