Interior Design

The Grosvenor Building

Brief
Ignis were keen to attract new tenants to this dated grade A listed building in the heart of Glasgow’s City Centre. Keppie were asked to look at ways of improving the building to provide Class A lettable office space. The ultimate aim was to entice tenants from new vacant developments in the surrounding area.
Response

Ignis were pleased yet somewhat surprised that our first thoughts did not revolve around aesthetics but in fact how the building functioned and the facilities it should offer. A tour around several recently completed office refurbishment projects highlighted many issues with the current Grosvenor Building. It was clear that user centric facilities such as showers and high quality toilet facilities would be expected, in addition to the refurbishment of the entrance and reception area.

Keppie organised design workshops with the Client, marketing and letting agents, and other design consultants. Sketch concepts were soon developed into fully worked-up photo-realistic computer images showing what the space would look like. Full size material samples and working prototypes were provided to demonstrate the quality proposed.
Outcome
A new street frontage is provided to maximise the narrow entranceway.  Introducing a set of double doors and a large opening ‘picture frame’ gate alleviates the previous operational issues. Beyond this, high quality stone finishes are to be lit by LED lighting technology. The reception desk is situated off to the side of the reception hall, allowing users and visitors to flow freely into the building and the vertical rise beyond. The stair has re-configured to give more direct access.  Polished plaster and iridescent lit glass panels ooze quality and embrace the latest in technology. New male, female and disabled toilets are provided on all floors as are shower facilities. These have been designed with long-term appeal and maintenance in mind. Simple lines and non-fussy detailing will ensure this. The project was handed over to the client in April 2011.

Team