Shield House / Devonshire Square / Concept Architects
Shield House / Devonshire Square / Concept Architects
The Old Bengal Warehouse was the first of the warehouses built by the East India Company at Devonshire Square. Constructed between 1768 and 1771 it had retained its powerful practical internal structures and had comfortably absorbed the modifications made over its long working life. Unused from the mid 1970’s the Grade II listed building fell into disrepair and was included on the English Heritage At Risk register.
As part of our masterplan for the Devonshire Square estate we addressed the practical problems of a use which would ensure the viable long term future for the building and which would maintain the detail and special quality of its functional heritage.
Our proposal created 14 loft style apartments, each one maintaining the large volume of the original warehouse floors and respecting the robust details of the existing structure. Bathrooms read as simple boxes sitting in the space while walls slid out to create enclosures. Predominately single aspect, we removed the later addition goods lift to create a lift well at the deepest part of the plan.
press:
WIDN - Devonshire Square November 2011; Devonshire Square in FX - Buildings That Started Life in the 18th Century... October 2011; Property Week July 2009; Lobbies Waiting Rooms December 2008;
press:
WIDN - Devonshire Square November 2011; Devonshire Square in FX - Buildings That Started Life in the 18th Century... October 2011; Property Week July 2009; Lobbies Waiting Rooms December 2008;