Show apartments with soul
A major project to transform the former BBC Television Centre, creating new residents’ spaces and a collection of comfortable, relaxed apartments.
On our residential projects, we normally spend time getting to know the client, but this required a different approach. We had not one real-life homeowner, but many potential homeowners. It was vital to make the apartments feel warm, friendly and personal, with plenty of human touches.
The two show apartments in the Helios building achieve this thanks to classic 1950s Scandinavian furniture that echoes the midcentury architecture, plus tactile accessories that banish the static feel commonly associated with show flats. There are bold striped, tufted and abstract-patterned fabrics by heritage designer Tibor Reich, as well as vibrant artworks by Rowe & Williams, and lots of natural greenery to soften the rooms.
The finishing touch is a series of bespoke geometric rugs based on the Television Centre’s architectural details, which we commissioned from British maker Vanderhurd. Some are inspired by the coffered ceilings in the Helios building’s lobby, while others feature midcentury-style atomic dots and graphic patterns borrowed from the building facade.
- Duration
- 3 years
- Location
- London
'We wanted our show apartments to draw on the past, but not slavishly so, and to be comfortable spaces one can envisage living in. That journey took us directly to Suzy’s door and it's been a marriage made in heaven.'Peter Allen, Stanhope Plc.
