Broadwick House comes as something of a surprise. The building was commissioned by a developer and occupies an entire city block in the heart of Soho’s dense conservation area, which this quadruple-aspect office development provides six floors of office space raised above street-level retail and restaurant accommodation. It is a place where straightforwardly ‘contextual’ design has been the norm, a contemporary landmark that lifted the profile and enriched the life of this historic neighbourhood.

The planning negotiations for the project were protracted but the result is a strikingly contemporary structure that enhances the neighborhood. The site is an island, with thoroughfares on all four sides. To the east, it abuts Berwick Street, famous as the oldest surviving fruit and vegetable market in central London, dating from the 1840. Neighbouring buildings range from Georgian town houses to 60’s high rise apartments and 80’s Post-Modern styled office blocks. Into this diverse context, Broadwick House introduces an element of rationality and urbanity.

The main access to the building is via a triple-aspect reception area which spans the full width of the building and is punctuated by a corner circulation tower. This encloses a twin panoramic lift, which addresses the larger scale of Broadwick Street. Key features such as this employ Rogers’ distinctive mix of color and fine metalwork detailing set against the muted hues of glass, concrete and aluminium. The elevators are further articulated by a clear distinction between the transparency of the office space and the more solid service cores containing toilets, stairs and service risers.

By concentrating service cores on the western edge, well-lit and highly transparent office floors are created behind fully glazed facades. Environmental sustainability and low energy consumption formed a key part of the brief. Energy efficiency of the building is ensured with the incorporation of a passive chilled water ceiling system and solar performance glazing, in conjunction with external shading devices and motorized blinds. Ground floor facades are set back to facilitate pedestrian movement, as at the ground floor and basement areas are allocated for retail and restaurant use while the fifth floor steps back to provide outdoor terraces.

The glazed lift tower on Broadwick Street is a memorable urban marker, a brand character of Richard Rogers. While the main mass of the building maximizes the precious footprint, the upper two levels along Berwick Street are set back to reduce the scale of the elevation presented along this more intimate street. The set back, in turn, forms the key architectural motif of the building with the most distinctive element of the scheme: an arched roof enclosing double-height studio space, affording spectacular views over London’s West End.

On completion, the building was let to Ford Motor Company as its London design studio. Broadwick House was especially chosen by Ford who wanted a building that demonstrated a clear and sophisticated design approach, offering a stimulating environment for the Ford creative team. In addition, Ford includes Broadwick House as one of the most environmentally efficient on their extensive international letting portfolio. The upper and lower ground floors have been turned into Yauatcha, the latest restaurant project by Alan Yau, creator of the Wagamama restaurant network. The tripartite composition of a setback public ground floor, the stack of office floors and the curved roof-top studio, along with the clear expression of the service and circulation components, have generated a high degree of legibility for both the building users and the public.

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