The City of London has backed plans for developer Ho Bee Land to refurbish and extend the former General Post Office building near St Paul’s Cathedral
Plans by Orms for the refurbishment and extension of 1 St Martin’s Le Grand have been approved by the City of London.
The 13-storey scheme, commissioned by Singapore-based developer Ho Bee Land, will add three new storeys to the Victorian office block located around 300 metres from St Paul’s Cathedral.
The original building was constructed in 1895 to house the General Post Office.
John McRae, director of Orms, said: “Finally I can share the news consent has been secured for the refurbishment and extension of 1 St Martins Le Grand. Originally designed by Sir Henry Tanner and extensively remodelled in the 1980s it has been an absolute pleasure to lead the talented Orms team in designing its next iteration.”
Orms’ design is intended to retain the building’s historic facades while introducing a new top storey in dark Grigio stone to replace the 1980s roof extension. The scheme will deliver around 32,000sq m (320,000sq ft) of office space, including a double-height reception, landscaped terraces and new public realm adjacent to Postman’s Park.
Federico Bianchi, the firm’s UK chief executive, said: “1 St Martin’s Le Grand is a rare opportunity to reposition a landmark, historic building as the state-of-the-art, sustainable workspace demanded by businesses in the City of London today.”
The proposals include reconfiguring the entrance on St Martin’s Le Grand to create a new pedestrian route to King Edward Street.
Sustainability consultants Hilson Moran said the project seeks to embed circular economy strategies, targeting the retention of up to 80% of the existing fabric.
Historic England previously stated it “welcomed” aspects of the proposal but raised concerns that the roof extension would “cause some harm to the significance of the host building and the setting of the conservation area”.
Completion of the redevelopment is expected in 2029. Others working on the scheme include planning consultant Avision Young, project manager Savills, cost consultant Quantem, services and sustainability consultant Hilson Moran and structural and civil engineer Elliot Wood.
>> Also read: Orms: designing architecture that listens and responds to a changing world
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