Marble Arch House is a substantial mixed-use development on the corner of Edgware Road and Seymour Street. It was carried out as part of The Portman Estate’s long-term regeneration strategy to enhance its central London portfolio, with British Land as the development partner.
The scheme comprises three elements: a modern office / retail building which replaces a poor quality post-war block on Edgware Road, a tired but handsome Victorian property on Seymour Street that has been substantially refurbished as high-end residential apartments for sale and two existing Victorian houses on Seymour Place that have been fully overhauled for residential letting, with small-scale retail/restaurant accommodation at ground level.
The principal office and retail element, which rises to eight floors plus a basement, adopts a confident aesthetic that maximises the potential for overall height and exceptional views on the prominent Seymour Street corner. Its façade is largely glazed within a framework of precast concrete and aluminium solar shading panels that are angled to allow views towards Hyde Park. The top floor is set back from the perimeter and takes the form of a lightweight pavilion. To the rear, the stepped profile of the building responds to the smaller-scale setting of the mews and the character of Portman Estate Conservation Area. Generous floorplates parallel to Edgware Road deliver 5,574m2 of high-specification office accommodation and 1,394m2 of continuous retail space that can be subdivided into separate units as required, with servicing from the rear mews. A glass sculpture by Danny Lane has been integrated into the corner reception window at ground floor.
The project employs a progressive approach towards sustainability with brise-soleil on the west façade to reduce overheating, balanced with high levels of natural daylight to reduce artificial lighting use. The long-term sustainability strategy allows for passive ventilation solutions to be implemented in the future. The office building has achieved BREEAM Excellent, with 40% lower carbon emissions than Building Regulations 2006.
