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​St James's Market

by Make Architects


Client The Crown Estate / Oxford Properties

Awards RIBA London Award 2018

© Martina Ferrara

The brief was to transform a poor-quality environment Directly south of Piccadilly Circus into a world-class destination with high quality offices comprised of two new office and retail buildings, one behind a retained façade.

The architects have created a small public space between the existing listed building and a new office block. The opened-up space on the ground level appears as a repair to the fabric of the four narrow streets joining at the point where the open space has been created.

Both buildings have been designed and detailed well, each with its own challenges, given the tight space and listed building constraints. Both office building have their entrances almost opposite each other across the newly formed public space.

The listed building appears static in appearance while the new building with its ribbon like bands and curved corners is a playful dynamic external envelope exercise.

It was felt that not only had the two buildings been designed and executed thoughtfully and well, but also that the juxtaposition of the two, together with the new square created, formed a welcome addition, a destination point instead of an area which used simply to service the buildings in the centre of London.


Internal Area 36,399 m²

Contractor Balfour Beatty

Structural Engineers Watermans

Environmental / M&E Engineers AECOM

Project Management Hanover Cube

Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant Gardiner and Theobold

Public art Studio Swine

Interior Design Make Architects

Public art Studio Weave

Acoustic Engineers Clarke Saunders Associates

Access Consultant David Bonnetts

Lighting Design Studio 29

Sustainability (post contract) KLH

© Martina Ferrara
© Martina Ferrara
© Martina Ferrara
© Martina Ferrara
© Rory Gardiner
© Rory Gardiner
© Rory Gardiner
© Rory Gardiner
© Rory Gardiner
© Make Architects
© Make Architects
© Make Architects
© Make Architects
© Make Architects
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