Cannongate House

Piercy&Company’s refurbishment of 62-64 Cannongate House, located within London’s Queen Street Conservation Area, comprises a new welcoming reception for the building’s occupants with upgraded facilities for active commuting. Designed with a focus on user experience, the project builds upon the studio’s expert knowledge of contemporary workspace design and working with historic sites.

A newly vacant retail space along Cannon Street provided the opportunity to create a new main entrance for the building, built originally in the 19th century in the Italianate style.

By drawing upon the building’s rich architectural heritage and local context, the studio focused on creating a timeless experience using a warm material palette featuring timber joinery, brass metalwork and terrazzo with a selection of iconic twentieth-century furniture and contemporary art. A bespoke timber wall was inspired by timber panelling typical of Victorian merchant buildings like that of Cannongate House.

A new take on the architectural history of the building, the timber wall also serves a practical purpose; unifying the split level reception whilst also housing short-stay cycle storage and informal seating. Where most workplaces relegate bicycles to the back of house, the Studio saw an opportunity to provide front of house, short-stay and easy-to-use storage for those arriving to meetings by bicycle. This move promotes active transport and transforms the reception into a lively space.

Additional cycle storage, shower/changing facilities and lockers are included on the lower ground floor.