The new 245 Hammersmith Road breathes life into a formerly closed-off and uninviting site, creating a dynamic, welcoming workplace and destination, interwoven by vibrant public, green spaces.

The new 245 Hammersmith Road office breathes life into a formerly closed-off and uninviting site, creating a dynamic, welcoming workplace and destination, interwoven by vibrant public, green spaces. The building is formed of two parallel wings that are connected by a central core, generating a large single floorplate which allows flexibility to accommodate different configurations and tenants. The collaborative open green spaces connect workers and the public both inside and outside the building. The plan allows the building to be stepped back from Hammersmith Road, creating opportunities for vibrant civic spaces to be integrated throughout.

A landscaped piazza forms an inviting entrance leading into ground-floor retail and reception areas, while a grand arch with a landscaped staircase and funicular lift connects the high street and piazza to a rear podium park, mediating an eight-meter level change, contributing to the open and accessible nature of the ground level, rooting the development within its civic setting and bringing an underused public space back to life.

Open and green spaces weave throughout the building, offering a constant visual connection to its many natural design features, including the landscaped piazza, podium park and roof terraces. The ground-floor reception is integrated with the public piazza, allowing the exterior green elements to feed into the building’s interior.

The external envelope of the building is characterised by red angled anodised aluminium window surrounds, which create a dialogue with the terracotta brick of the adjacent Conservation Area. The angled aluminium panels are tailored to their orientation, minimising solar gain and providing dynamic elevations which respond to the changing levels of light during the day.

The ground floor functions as an extension of the public piazza, evoking a generous civic hall, while featuring a variety of more intimate settings to promote collaborative working. The use of raw materials—as featured in the open-grid metal ceilings and lighting details—melds with hand-crafted furniture to create an atmosphere that is at once familial and industrial.

Mark Kowal, Partner, Sheppard Robson: “This project was as much about place making as creating an office building. It seeks to address wellbeing at its heart by providing spaces and amenity that each tenant can build on to align with their own occupation strategies. The sequence of external spaces and office reception help to blur the boundaries between public and private, stitching the building into its local neighbourhood.”

Simon Wilkes, Head of Business Space Development, Legal & General: “245 Hammersmith Road is much more than just an office building; we have created a destination with modern working and lifestyle trends at the core of our thinking. It sets a new standard for Hammersmith. A standout destination and re-imagined workplace, this flexible and collaborative space is built to inspire and provide the quality and style of workplace modern occupiers are demanding.”

Yuichiro Shioda, Managing Director & CEO of Mitsubishi Estate London Limited, said: “It is always gratifying to deliver a finished new building and, in 245 Hammersmith Road, we have created something that makes a positive contribution to both the local occupier market and the local community.”