London-based architecture and design studio Bluebottle undertook an ambitious refurbishment for the new London office of venture capital firm Atomico.
Niklas Zennström, Atomico founder, was seeking a new London home to accommodate his company’s mission and vision to invest in game-changing enterprises. Housed within The Gaslight, a unique Art Deco building on Rathbone Street, London W1, three floors, and a mezzanine level were transformed into an office environment with high aspirations for longevity and wellbeing.
Office – London, United Kingdom
Architect: Bluebottle
Photography: Ed Reeve
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Natural Oak
Dimensions: 300 x22 mm for the floor and 300 x 30 mm for joinery and stairs.
Finish: Light oil
Atomico required a clear and functional design solution for their new headquarters. The client brief was to provide an innovative modern workspace for staff and founders that are multi-functional, inclusive and ranks highly in sustainability, occupant comfort, and acoustics.
Adapting The Gaslight from a multi-tenanted building into a single occupier called for a radical and ambitious architectural intervention to ensure the vertical stacking and circulation gave a seamless visual connection through the floors while maximising the use of all available space. Creating a large opening for a central link in the heart of the building enhanced the sense of openness and transparency across each floor by allowing seamless transitions between collaborative social spaces and private working areas.
Sustainability was at the heart of the project, and the client wanted to focus on a data-driven approach to minimising energy consumption in construction and throughout the occupation. Working within the constraints of an existing building meant that some low-carbon technologies were unsuitable and had to be addressed. Bluebottle worked closely with a wide team of experts including leading engineering and sustainability practice Max Fordham, which carried out an extensive early-stage analysis to select appropriate technologies using an innovative design tool developed by the Energy Group at Cambridge University.
High-impact materials, finishes, and furniture were chosen for their Circular Economy value, such as solid wood floors from Dinesen, desking made of cabinetry that can be adapted and reused, and acoustic panels that can be reupholstered. Integrating wood in a project is good for indoor climate, energy consumption, and people’s minds. Fluctuations in the daily indoor humidity can be reduced by applying wood surfaces. Wood can absorb and emit humidity according to the fluctuations that exist in the project. This improves the air quality significantly which is of great importance for a good indoor climate.
We chose Dinesen as it ticked the boxes both for aesthetics and sustainability. The building was targeting net zero carbon certification and we knew early on that we wanted to work with a solid timber floor. We wanted the spaces to feel open, warm, and light and felt that the long wide planks gave the project a sense of calm and handcrafted quality. We also were keen to use the timber for joinery and get a uniform look.
