Grand buildings, once The Grand Hotel owned by the Francis brothers and more recently offices, had lain empty for many years before an international competition in which SG’s design was chosen.

Particularly aware of the important place that the building held in people’s affections in their image of the heart of London the building was demolished but replaced with modern office accommodation around a central atrium in the scholarly form of the original historic building. Incorporating the adjacent modern bank building a new public arcade and retail units were created at street level.

The façade included some 27,000 individual stones with Portland stone for the cornices and window surrounds and featured hand carvings of endangered species at ground level.

In 2012 Grand Buildings was acquired by new owners, and the original team were commissioned to refurbish and update the interior.

Working with SG Interiors, the atrium and entrance areas were remodelled into a contemporary sequence of spaces, making the building more marketable to future tenants while achieving a significant increase to the office floor plates.

The adopted proposals called for the refurbishment of the building while the office floors remained 80% occupied, with the upgrade designed and built to reflect both the prime location and the status of the new tenants. A new main entrance is formed on axis to the adjacent public square, allowing the atrium to be more visible and inviting to the public. The design solution increases the usable office floor space by 11% via gallery floor extensions cantilevered into the existing atrium and enclosed by a new frameless glass wall.