rathbone place

location: Central London
project type: refurbishment
year: 2020

20 Rathbone Place is a multi-tenant office building in Central London, originally built in the 1930s as a warehouse. The refurbishment covered key shared areas - including the reception, open-plan office floors, toilets, terraces, and back-of-house - with a focus on retaining the site's industrial spirit. The design embraces raw materials and a restrained palette. A bold ceiling concept using perforated steel panels allowed for discreet lighting integration while reinforcing the industrial aesthetic. The reception area was redesigned with linear lighting and strong contrasts, while toilets and back-of-house zones were approached with minimalist clarity.

The project was delivered while I worked at CoveBurgess Architects in London, where I led the design and documentation as Project Architect, from early concept through to site completion. The works were carried out while parts of the building remained in use, requiring careful phasing and coordination. A key challenge was designing lighting to align precisely with the perforated ceiling system, achieving a clean and composed visual effect.

The result is a robust, modern interior that respects the building's heritage while offering flexible, tenant-ready spaces.