Dryden House
Sector
Workspace
Location
Soho, London
Size
8,000 sqft
Value
£2m
Client
Private
Dryden House transforms two historic buildings in the heart of London's Chinatown into contemporary workspace, carefully balancing restoration with adaptation. Located within the Soho and Chinatown Conservation Area, the project brings long-vacant upper floors back into productive use while retaining the active restaurant and retail frontage that contributes to the character of Gerrard Street.
The design is rooted in the buildings' layered history, revealing and celebrating the existing architectural fabric rather than concealing it. Original brickwork, timber floors, weathered plaster and surviving decorative features have been carefully retained, allowing the accumulated character of the buildings to become an integral part of the workplace experience. Contemporary interventions are deliberately understated, with blackened steel, resin flooring and zinc detailing creating a subtle contrast that distinguishes new from old while respecting the historic setting.
A new roof extension provides additional office accommodation while responding sensitively to the surrounding roofscape. Improved circulation, including the introduction of a new lift, enhances accessibility and unifies the two buildings into a cohesive workplace, while new terraces and reconfigured lightwells bring daylight deep into the plan. Together, these carefully considered interventions create a calm and characterful working environment that celebrates the authenticity of the existing buildings while preparing them for a new chapter of occupation.
Dryden House transforms two historic buildings in the heart of London's Chinatown into contemporary workspace, carefully balancing restoration with adaptation. Located within the Soho and Chinatown Conservation Area, the project brings long-vacant upper floors back into productive use while retaining the active restaurant and retail frontage that contributes to the character of Gerrard Street.
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Photography by:
Billy Bolton