The existing Grade I listed 14-storey building was designed by Charles Holden as the headquarters for the London Electric Railway Company and the building remains an enduring presence in the area, closing key views from the network of surrounding streets. Completed in 1929 and situated above St James’s Park tube station, 55 Broadway was London Underground’s headquarters for over 80 years.

In proposing a cruciform plan, Holden wanted light and air available to all users of the building: “Open light and air, brightness, sunshine, cheerfulness, health – all ingredients for a happy architecture.” – Charles Holden, ‘55 Broadway’, DIA Quarterly (Dec 1929) pp 10-11

In the 1980s, the central core and staircase were closed off to create a secure reception serving the offices above, interrupting the clarity of the original circulation which corresponded to the cruciform plan of the tower above. Our design proposes a scheme that secures the long-term future of the building by transforming the outdated offices into a landmark residential-led development.

Cut-away perspective showing proposed entrance and new atrium

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A new biodiverse atrium acts as the 'lungs' of the building, allowing sunlight and natural stack ventilation

Concept sketch

A relocated entrance would improve accessibility, while projecting bronze entrance portals help identify the entrance

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