Fora reopens Henry Wood House for West End creatives

Responding to the growing need for contemporary, agile workspaces in the heart of London, Fora has reimagined the iconic BBC Research & Development Centre while paying homage to retro British interiors – and artwork – from the 1960s. Comprised of 70,000 sq ft of premium office space, spread over eight floors, Henry Wood House (which neighbours the Grade II-listed Broadcasting House), has been consciously refreshed to serve the growing creative arts community in London’s West End.

Introducing plenty of natural light and warmth to the Brutalist landmark with new double-glazed windows and interior glazing, Fora also commissioned an array of onsite facilities, including a wellness studio, a café with an outdoor courtyard and a roof terrace with spectacular city views. The flexible workplace provider tapped renowned interior architect Nice Projects to lead the top-to-toe renewal, who started by installing a striking new entrance and restoring the original terrazzo and parquet floors. Achieving a low embodied carbon score, Nice Projects reused existing features where possible to deliver a more energy efficient workspace, while also retaining the building’s character.

Already home to new broadcasting businesses including Jake Humphrey’s High Performance podcast company, the new and improved building is named after Henry Wood, the first conductor of the BBC Proms. The building’s association with innovation in music and broadcast continued with pioneering research into noise-cancelling headphones and digital radio, making it the ideal home for members of London’s world-renowned media industry.

Fora’s whole ethos is based around identifying and meeting the needs of modern workers, which meant Nice Projects were tasked with introducing significant upgrades throughout the building. Alongside informal meeting rooms and workspaces where Fora members can collaborate, recharge and socialise, the design team increased the number of on-floor breakout space available and installed the highest ratio of phone booths in any of Fora’s spaces. Members can therefore use more collaborative coworking areas as well as conduct quiet, focused work on site. Those seeking out their daily dose of caffeine can also find an airy café with verdant planting on the ground floor, allowing Henry Wood House to accommodate a diverse range of businesses of up to 200 people.