HUT re-imagines a 1930s Art-Deco building in the heart of East London’s Tech City through a shear extension and curved top-storey penthouse alongside Cat A refurbishment. Originally a garment factory, the building was later converted into a bank and offices and retains its vault in the basement. Much of the original concrete structure is retained and existing features including the original staircase, wrought iron balustrades, metal signage and Crittall windows are re-finished and made good to further extend their life span. Meanwhile, reconfigured plans maximise the lettable commercial floor area. The new curved roof is designed to stealthily recede into the skyline and the mill-finished, standing-seam cladding adds to the effect by reflecting the tones of the sky. Large-format cranked glazing units with refined glass-to-glass connections puncture the roof and allow daylight to flood the top floor, creating a connection with the elements and a sense of delight. As Gilray House sits proud on its own city block there was a unique opportunity to redefine the building identity. Existing ornate mouldings and metalwork to the façades are refinished and replicated to conserve the building’s history and the exterior is painted in Steel Blue to match the 1930s Crittall window frame colour. Contemporary white signage contrasts and complements. These moves help to enhance the building’s position amongst its distinctive architectural neighbours while its scale increases, giving a more harmonious fit within the ever-evolving streetscape.
Type
Location
GIA
Value
Status
Sustainability
Press
Awards
Workplace
Islington
21,400sqft
Confidential
Complete
EPC B
AJ ‘First Look’, May 2022
Schueco Awards Finalist 2022
AJ Retrofit Awards Finalist 2023
Client
Project Manager
Main Contractor
Structural Engineer
MEP Engineer
Quantity Surveyor
Planning Consultant
Building Control
CDM
Fire Engineer
Branding
Photographer
GAW Capital
John Rowan
Structure Tone
Ingleton Wood
Synoptic
John Rowan
CBRE
Shore
Shore
Semper
Socrates
Billy Bolton
