New delivery for Royal Mail Group

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Green light for redevelopment of Royal Mail 1908 London Street site

Royal Mail Group have been granted planning permission by Westminster City Council for a major mixed-use re-development of the Royal Mail site alongside Paddington Station. Designed by Fletcher Priest Architects the project includes 129 apartments and 100,000 sq ft of office space with restaurants and shops at street level.

The new office building integrates the 1908 London Street element and combines this with a new structure that relates to the network of railway tunnels below. The structure also provides shading from deep reveals whose scale and proportion respond to the existing building. The design also allows for the future expansion of the Bakerloo line ticket hall beneath the retained building.

Offices and apartments overlook a central landscaped courtyard. Surrounding street improvements will include wider pavements, shops and restaurants and the removal of extensive crossovers and an overhead link bridge.

Apartments are arranged in three buildings. Two overlook the central courtyard and comprise apartment-wide bays that rise to create a distinctive roofscape. A third re-uses the structure of the existing building on Praed Street that is re-clad and re-fenestrated, with roof terraces and balconies. Existing, connected basements house mechanical services and residential parking.

In addition to a substantial re-use of retained structures, the extensive sustainability agenda includes an integrated local energy network built upon CCHP and import/ export between buildings in different use.

Partner Keith Priest commented: “London Street Paddington is a vibrant architectural context with a rich language. Our work for Royal Mail Group aims to build upon this and respond with lively public and private realm.”

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