Why two worlds collide at this new London workplace

This article first appeared in Mix Interiors #223

Words: Lauren Hill 
Photography: Billy Bolton

When MoreySmith approached the redesign of 280 Bishopsgate, a 13-storey tower facing onto both Spitalfields and the City, the architecture and interior design studio envisioned a vibrant new workplace that linked these diverse neighbourhoods with an entrance on each side.

“Our idea was to connect the City to the Spitalfields and Shoreditch side and bring that contextual inspiration into a space blurring hospitality and the workplace,” says associate interior designer for MoreySmith and project lead, Zoe Bailey, who was named among the Mix Interiors 30 under 30 of 2022.

“Having the dual entrance allows people to have two options for their address, 280 Bishopsgate or 280 Bishops Square. A start-up might go for the Shoreditch address, while a law firm might want to be connected to the City.”

The firm was briefed to make the early-2000s site, formerly the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland, a destination in which people want to work. With this in mind, the practice set about turning 7,800 sq ft spanning the full length of the ground floor into a dual reception that draws on these two different identities, while providing hospitality space for coffee meetings and after-work cocktails.

“We researched what the two aesthetics would feel like and then looked into ways of blending them,” Bailey explains. “Now as the user walks through the space, there’s a subtle transition between the two styles from one end to the other, with the statement bar in the centre acting as the focal point that gels the two together.

“At the Spitalfields and Shoreditch end there’s a more relaxed, raw feel, then if you go from the City entrance it’s a lot more slick, monochrome and very architectural, with details like the feature lighting – supplied by Roll & Hill and Dirk Vander Kooij. There’s this play on furnishings and finishes gradually changing through the space.”

An eclectic mix of furniture is used in different set- ups designed to accommodate everything from pre- meeting catch-ups to Zoom calls throughout the work day. A neutral colour palette runs throughout and is complemented by impactful materials like green marble terrazzo flooring, Estremoz marble worktops and the Alusion aluminium foam that hangs above the bar. MoreySmith collaborated with Benchmark on the design of a statement bench and other items were sourced from Italian makers including Living Divani, De La Espada and Meridiani.

In such a large, open space, zoning was integral. “It was important to us that this ground-floor space wasn’t just a sea of furnishing or joinery with no differentiation,” Bailey says. “Creating zones through the ceiling design, lighting design and furniture layouts was key to the concept.”

Planning permission was also achieved to refurbish the existing façade and create a terrace for tenants on the rooftop. On the exterior, pinstripe aluminium cladding has been used with a charcoal palette and LED light panels under mesh giving the appearance of a glowing façade. A double-height atrium has been added to the Bishop’s Square entrance, with the aim of giving the building more presence on that side, and outdoor planting further enhances the design. The rooftop terrace is a highlight of the newly transformed site as it commands both City and Shoreditch vistas from a space featuring lounge furniture and planting.

“Altogether, the furnishing, styling and planting really add the softness needed to finish off each space,” Bailey explains.

Wellbeing and sustainability were both fundamental to the overall development and as a result 280 Bishopsgate is now the largest WELL Platinum office space in the UK and one of only two BREEAM Outstanding buildings to have been delivered in London in 2022.

“It was always important to the client, Arax Properties, that this building was going to reach the highest it could on the WELL certification and also BREEAM,” says Bailey. “It was a group effort to make the place feel welcoming, holistic and a place people want to work; considering how the journey to their floor is the best it can be and having amenities throughout the building.”

“The whole way through, we wanted to approach this as sustainably and ethically as we could,” she continues. “Just keeping the building standing was a massive deal and it was integral to make sure it was upgraded as sustainably as possible by doing as little to the structure as we could, with maximum impact. From our perspective, leaving the building standing and regenerating that for the future is the most sustainable thing to do.”

Proving the success of this design concept and its diverse appeal, 90% of the office space was pre-let by tenants, spanning a law firm and media company, before it had even reached completion this year.