127 Charing Cross Road

Refurb and extension of a 1970s structure into a premium office hub

127 Charing Cross Road is a seven-storey, high-end commercial office development that will achieve BREEAM Outstanding through innovative reuse. The site was previously under-developed, with only three upper floors – an anomaly compared to neighbouring buildings.

The project involved the refurbishment and vertical extension of a 1970s four-storey concrete frame building with a single-storey basement.

Overcoming Structural Constraints and Ensuring Viability

Structural Viability:

Building above shallow Crossrail assets required a detailed viability assessment. The solution involved designing a lightweight structure to minimise loading on the underlying tunnels. A 3D finite element analysis verified the stability and safety of the critical structural junction between three tunnel structures during demolition and construction.

Operational Constraints:

The ground floor was home to a nightclub, which had to remain operational for most of the construction phase. A carefully designed transfer structure rearranged the load paths at upper levels, minimising disruption and allowing the G.A.Y. nightclub to continue operating uninterrupted.

Smart Solutions for Vertical Expansion

Three new storeys were added by reducing existing loading and using a lightweight structure, making it possible to reuse the original concrete frame.

Advanced geotechnical analysis enabled construction above Crossrail assets, ensuring that significant site constraints were resolved without compromising safety or stability.

Sustainability Through Structural Reuse

The development is targeting BREEAM Outstanding certification. By reusing the majority of the existing structure, the development significantly reduced material use and embodied carbon, aligning with modern sustainable design principles.

Delivering Flexible Office Space in Central London

The completed project increased the building’s size from 40,100 sq.ft to 78,523 sq.ft, creating a contemporary office environment with multiple terraces and an expanded core. This modern, flexible space provides high-quality commercial accommodation in a prime London location.