A move from high up a Queen Street tower down to the gritty Britomart neighbourhood; merchant banking firm Bancorp approached Cheshire to create a 35-person office for their team on the top floor of the heritage Buckland Masonic building, Customs Street.
Our approach was to celebrate the unfinished brick and imperfections of the heritage fabric, leaving it largely untouched. Into this we carefully placed cabinetry, like pieces of origami, to create and carve off smaller meeting spaces.
Guests arrive through a dedicated entrance and are immediately wrapped up in a dark, quiet space. Timber wall panelling builds on the cabinetry introduced in pockets throughout the more open spaces and lends a gentler sense of formality to the meeting areas. Lighter, oak-framed linen panels soften the spaces visually and acoustically, and are placed to reflect and enhance daylight in the rooms.
Natural light was prioritised in the work, the whole scheme favouring the natural over the synthetic. Bespoke glass screens were introduced to allow that light to reach into the depth of the floorplate. Morning, noon and evening sunshine all lend character to the space as the day passes.
Photographer Sam Hartnett
Cheshire Team Ascinda Stark, Lucy Hayes and Mehul Patel in collaboration with Nat Cheshire
