When we were approached by international financial news agency, Bloomberg, their location in Finsbury Square consisted of two separate sites, each with their own very different style and with complicated occupancy and lease conditions. One had been built in the 1930s by Giles Gilbert Scott and the other was a contemporary office building by Foster and Partners.

We were tasked to carry out a feasibility study and create a master plan for the redevelopment of the whole site. We then provided architecture and design services for the development of a new link building and the fit-out of the two largest buildings. 

The centrepiece of our new design was the reworked entranceway, where we created a double height space which draws visitors and staff into the core of the building. The journey up through the building now allows clear sight of the offices and activities taking place, with a contrast from the new technologies used in the entrance to the light and airy pantry area above. Where there had been a disconnect between the two buildings, a key element of the new design worked to bring them together, by introducing a series of walkways.

Alongside these major alterations, the project included detailed fit-out design packages for an auditorium, new TV studios and ancillary technical areas, offices with live broadcast stations, new catering facilities, training rooms, a public art gallery and other art spaces within the complex. We also designed the building signage strategy and system and provided specialist furniture design.

BCO Awards, 2002