The conversion of the plinth level of the Shakespeare Tower, Barbican from the City of London Police Station to a new, fit for purpose office for Curl la Tourelle Head Architecture.

The works reclaimed the 1960s two-storey glazed façade as the centre piece creating the illusion of weightlessness of the 43 storey Shakespeare tower. A sense of lightness and openness was attained by removing the existing partitions and suspended ceiling. The M&E system was also renewed, including ventilation and fire alarms to improve efficiency.

Our approach was to undertake minimal interventions to make the property fit for purpose whilst retaining its modernist character. The Police Station was previously stripped of many original features creating the opportunity to re-establish the mid-century modern aesthetic of the Barbican throughout the design. To further protect this heritage asset, furniture was designed and built to be removable and a green material palette was chosen.