Benjamin Street

The scheme at 1-5 Benjamin Street is a modern interpretation of a Victorian brick warehouse that will stand the test of time. Located on an L-shaped corner plot within the Clerkenwell Conservation Area, adjacent to the new Crossrail hub at Farringdon Station, the mixed-use development replaces a disparate trio of existing buildings that are no longer fit for purpose with a five-storey city sandwich of retail space at ground floor, three levels of open-plan offices in the middle, and penthouse apartments at roof level. The building’s two principal elevations respond to two different conditions: the Benjamin Street facade symmetrically addresses St John’s Gardens, echoing the square proportions of the nearby Victorian warehouses, while the Turnmill Street facade, which looks across the train lines at Farringdon Station, has a vertical emphasis that responds to the grain of the neighbouring buildings and the public nature of the street. Both facades are brick, offset by patterned concrete panels, lintel and cill details. The historically significant Faulkner’s Alley is retained and improved with the creation of a small landscaped open space which contributes to the layering of the urban fabric and is visible from Benjamin Street through a largely glazed office reception.