British Land HQ York House

Agency: Feix&Merlin
Client: British Land

York House is a mixed-use building in Central London and acts as British Land’s Headquarters. The building’s ground floor lobby has two entrances, one on Seymour Street and one on Bryanston Street.

Following an invited process in 2022, Feix&Merlin were commissioned by British Land to re-imagine the arrival sequence at its headquarters at York House on Seymour Street in Central London. Clients Brief The Client’s brief called to transform the existing spaces with a refreshed design approach moving away from what was a slightly corporate look and feel, towards a warmer, more inclusive aesthetic. The scope includes a significant transformation of the ground floor lobby spaces, mezzanine level, lift lobbies and lift interiors, including new custom-made joinery, reception desks, wall finishes and decorative lighting, improvements to the public hallways. The project incorporates new artwork throughout, carefully curated to align with British Land’s values. The Bryanston St lobby has been extended in size and includes break-out space, agile working, as well as direct access into the coffee shop next door, through an arched opening in the panelling, encouraging people to dwell, fostering teamwork and promoting a sense of company belonging. The proposals feature a material palette filled with warmth, light, and natural materials, incorporating colour and texture to create a timeless and elegant feel. The design approach has taken cues from the existing geometry of the space to introduce panelling with rounded corners as a motif of the interior design. A sustainable approach The scheme includes a significant element of re-use; for example, existing wall finishes have been cleverly reused as flooring. The granite stone on the walls were carefully removed, stored on site and repurposed as flooring. Elsewhere existing flooring has been retained and where possible existing features have been retained and repurposed. Any new interventions, such as the timber wall panels, were carefully and sustainably sourced and natural materials were prioritised such as the breathable limewash finishes, recycled timber terrazzo and cork have been used, as well as air purifying plants. Soft furnishings include new upholstery in recycled fabrics, layered textures with natural woven rugs, vegan leather has been used instead of animal products, and drapery all procured carefully from sustainable sources.