Office S&M has been chosen by General Projects to work on the future fit-out of 242 Marylebone Road.
The architect was one of seven practices to pitch their ideas for the former Woolworths headquarters, undergoing major refurbishment by AHMM and General Projects.
In response to the brief’s emphasis on wellbeing and user experience, the architects proposed a range of ideas from an arboretum, a forest, an edible garden on the roof and a vodka dispenser. All seven agreed that the ‘office as we know it, is dead’.
Hugh McEwen said: ” We’re delighted to have won the Archiboo Pitch to redefine the next generation of workplace design, with a proposal in collaboration with Ekkist and SLAB that has occupants’ wellbeing at its heart. Partnering is key to how we work, and we’re looking forward to progressing the conversation with General Projects and AHMM.”
Ben Cross, development associate at General Projects, said: ‘We’re thrilled to discover a young, creative, and like-minded practice to collaborate with on 242 Marylebone Road, one of our most significant and exciting projects.
‘Our ambition is to create one of the healthiest, most sustainable, and most user-centric workplaces in London, if not the world. We believe that the key to doing so is through imaginative and bold design.
‘That ethos of originality was abundantly clear in Office S&M’s pitch and their approach to put user experience at the heart of their design absolutely resonates with ours. We are beyond excited to collaborate with such a talented practice and can’t wait to see their ideas come to life.’
The architects pitching were: CAN; Common Ground Architecture; Editional Studio; NOOMA Studio; Office S&M; Pup and Studio Dera.
A special commendation was awarded to NOOMA Studio.
The panel was: Ben Cross, General Projects; Amy Frearson, journalist and editor; Linda Donato, Architect, AHMM; Francesca Brady, CEO, AirRated and Jacob Sandelson, Principal, General Projects.
The pitch took place on June 21st in front of a live audience at 242 Marylebone Road, London.
To watch the other pitches please click the links below
To find out about future pitches please sign up to receive our newsletter!
