85 GREAT EASTERN STREET, SHOREDITCH

The refurbishment of an office building on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch involving the renovation of the facade. The design makes the most of the existing building by retaining glazing and openings yet changes the emphasis and order with new materials and mullions.

An early observation when looking at the existing building was the over simplicity of the facade, particularly when compared with its neighbours; historic buildings with mullions, columns and arches which create satisfying orders and proportions. A series of tests were carried out experimenting with introducing a vertical mullion or column within the deep window reveals. These columns, complementing the neighbouring buildings, could be achieved relatively inexpensively and give the building a more balanced vertical order.