One of the most talked-about refurbs in the City of London for a headline law firm is now being reoccupied by the client. The fit-out of 100 Bishopsgate by architect Sheppard Robson features a polished mixture of collaborative and private workspaces separated, where appropriate, for client-facing and more discreet work along with recreational and dining areas all designed to suit how a workforce operates in a post-pandemic world.
The 24,000m2 office scheme, completed in January 2021 after a five-year project by Sheppard Robson’s interior design team ID:SR, is the HQ of one of London’s most prestigious law firms at the corner of Bishopsgate and Camomile Street in the heart of the square mile.
The space, as well as offering prime grade contemporary office space, has been designed for post-covid ways of working. For example, additional sculptural staircases were installed to connect the clients’ floors and ease access, reducing peak time pressure on lifts in the building and, by facilitating movement between teams as well as floors, fostering the collaborative, collegiate culture the firm wishes to engender.
“Part of our brief was to create a welcoming, calm, seamless client experience, while at the same time offering the flexibility to accommodate clients and large groups for events,” says ID:SR’s Sarah Laurisch. “The spaces and finishes had to cater to the variety and vitality of the activity that takes place within the office. High end finishes and elegant detailing impart a sense of comfort and care throughout, converging workplace with hospitality.”
Sheppard Robson chose to partner with door hardware specification specialist Franchi to produce an ironmongery schedule that would convey the right message of understated authority and modern functionality. The two companies have worked together on a number of high-end developments and worked closely with the design team to imagine, design, and deliver the solution on this scheme. The specification was extremely detailed and refined – from lock solutions for optimal security, through to the smallest details like tailor-made cabinet handles in the meeting rooms. The centrepiece of the hardware scheme is a suite of bronze pull handles, which provide a functional but arresting opening solution that forms a design thread right the way through the offices.
Franchi’s specification team is very experienced in working with architects and designers in the super-prime residential and commercial market in the capital and beyond and has collaborated with Sheppard Robson on many high-end schemes previously.
Franchi was established in 1970 in by Guerrino Franchi, and the business that bears his name is still family owned and run by his son today. In 50 years, the company has built a reputation for providing expert ironmongery specification and scheduling service. The company now also operates a premier design studio at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.
