This Historical Silver Vault in London is Now Home to a Wellness-First Workplace
Come on in and take a look around.
The latest space to be added to The Office Group‘s location portfolio is set on London’s Chancery Lane, in a building that conceals the underground silver markets.
Marking the company’s largest space to date, Chancery House spans eight storeys. Its architecture and interiors have been devised by a team made up of The Office Group’s (TOG) internal designers, Danish practice Norm Architects and London-based dMFK Architects.
Inspired by the heritage of the site, the team set about devising a retrofit that would pay homage to its surroundings while providing office space that prioritises wellbeing and flexibility. The Chancery House building was originally constructed in 1885, when it served as both a safe deposit and the Silver Vaults. During World War II, much of the original construction was levelled by a bomb, and as such, the building was reconstructed in the 1950s to create office spaces for businesses in the city’s Midtown district.
For TOG, which acquired the freehold back in 2019, the project presented an opportunity to create something that is relevant to present day, within the walls and on the site of a building steeped in history. “Our first instinct is to refurbish and reposition existing buildings where we can,” says Sophie Werren, lead architect at The Office Group. “We’re always ambitious with each project and the scale of Chancery House presented a wonderful opportunity to create a building that is beautiful and has an exceptional range of amenities.”
“The result is calm, considered and people-centric”
Visitors enter the building at street level, through huge stainless steel doors that nod to the subterranean silver trading. They’re instantly met by a bright, breezy reception area that feels calm and minimal, yet lived in thanks to the colour and material palette. Red brick is combined with brushed stainless steel, with handmade tiles, sandstone, and concrete throughout the building.
“The Office Group has mastered the balance of usability and aesthetics; always rethinking how work life can be improved,” says Sofie Thorning, Architect & Partner at Norm Architects – the studio behind these interior architecture decisions. “Their strong focus on design is key to achieving that and, for us as designers, that makes the process a joy.”
Across the eight floors, there are a number of typologies of office spaces – from private floors to co-working areas. The crowning jewel, though, comes in the form of communal amenities. Thought has been poured into the ways in which people want to experience work in 2023, and the ways in which our lifestyles have adapted to suit lifestyles that strive to balance personal wellbeing with ambitious career goals. A gym space is filled with state of the art equipment, as well as a studio for classes including reformer pilates and yoga. A coffee shop is located on the ground floor, and will also serve food and drink to the public – who enter via a landscaped garden which used to be a dull car park. The roof terrace is abundant in flowers and greenery for alfresco lunches or meetings, while a library offers a space to find inspiration.
Take a look around Chancery House above, and for more architecture news – check out Bjarke Ingels’ Twisting Towers, which are the latest additions to New York’s High Line.
