Practice crafts studio and art complex at £40m six-storey Soho block

New images have been released of Stiff & Trevillion’s £40m art deco-inspired Soho block which is being turned into a studio and art complex for artist Damien Hirst.

Hirst, whose Newport Street Gallery – designed by Caruso St John Architects – won the 2016 Stirling Prize, acquired his new Beak Street base from Enstar Capital and Landcap.

The six-storey 2,500sq m building was built on the site of a former police station and section house to what the developers described as “an exceptional specification” and with what it said would be “spectacular interiors”.

Its exterior has an art deco-style pediment, a bespoke cast aluminum frieze and window surrounds. The façade features more than 100 types of differently glazed brick imported from the Netherlands.

Bespoke ceramic bricks are a key element of the facade of Damien Hirst's new Soho HQ, designed by Stiff & Trevillion

Bespoke ceramic bricks are a key element of the facade of Damien Hirst’s new Soho HQ, designed by Stiff & Trevillion

The developers said that Hirst’s requirement for “voluminous double-height space” had seen the building’s second-floor slab practically removed” to give a cathedral-like space with a 10m high ceiling that was ideal for producing and displaying large-scale artwork.

Trap doors and openings throughout the building allow for artwork to be moved between floors.

They also said the main entrance foyer would deliver a space comparable to a boutique hotel, while its washrooms had been inspired by the Savoy Hotel and Soho House, and were finished in carrara marble.

Fit-out work is due to complete in time for an opening early next year.

The double-height exhibition space inside Damien Hirst's new Soho HQ

The double-height exhibition space inside Damien Hirst’s new Soho HQ