W1 Place is a 9–storey private mixed-use development comprising 36 high–end apartments and 4,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, located at 204 Great Portland Street, an elegant thoroughfare that serves as a unifying line between Marylebone and Fitzrovia in central London, U.K. Within these neighbourhoods, grand 18th and 19th century buildings are nestled alongside homes, commercial premises, medical and educational institutions. 

Luxury Residences

Launched in late 2024, W1 Place offers a boutique collection of one, two and three bedroom luxury residences, including two penthouses as well as a quaint roof terrace affording picturesque views across the British Capital. The development draws upon the rich architectural traditions of Great Portland Street, boasting a natural limestone corner façade. The mixed–use development features bronze framed lantern bay windows that maximise natural light and cast aluminium balustrades. Inspired by the distinctive glaze of Japanese porcelain, the building’s balustrades provide texture and artistic flair, graciously framing the windows from the outside in. The development is complete with a 24–hour concierge service and cycle storage for its residents.

The development is located on the eastern side of Great Portland Street, within a vibrant area that is a major media hub, occupied by Time Out, Virgin Media, CNBC and the BBC, to name but a few. Famous “blue plaques” are displayed on buildings throughout Fitzrovia and Marylebone, paying homage to the writers and musicians alike who turned to the local area for inspiration, including Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Lennon, all of whom lived, worked and flourished there. 

The Refurbishment

The building had previously served as an office space, originally built in the 1980s and had become severely outdated and unprepossessing as the 2020s approached. HDR’s client, Concord London Developments, had previously collaborated with HDR on Principal Tower and Marylebone Square, an elegant mixed–use development in a historical district, part of the provenance of aristocratic estates within central London. HDR was subsequently brought onto the project by Concord London Development’s co–founder and managing director, Christopher Murray.

Concord London Developments aspired to create a new–build mixed–use development on the site of the old office at 204 Great Portland Street. HDR was subsequently included in the project team, alongside architect Simon Bowden of E8 Architecture, to provide holistic building engineering services, encompassing mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP), energy and sustainability, vertical transportation, lighting design, information and communication technology (ICT) and security, and control system engineering.

Overcoming Challenges  

Through the duration of the project, certain challenges came to light. Engineers had to quickly adapt their plans to the demands of two separate planning applications during HDR’s work on the development. Due to underground infrastructure in the immediate area, it was not possible to extend the basement area further, meaning the space had to be reduced to remove old cabling and to enable the installation of a new plant room.

Sustainable Design

As part of the new–build, HDR utilised the structure’s existing lightwell, which enabled the inclusion of additional bedrooms that maximize the use of natural light. Responsible and sustainable design and operations are at the heart of the building engineering, as HDR worked diligently to develop a green roof, install photovoltaic roof panels and implement greywater harvesting. HDR’s sustainability and resiliency engineers worked alongside Concord London Developments on BREEAM certification for the development.

The ground floor units have been designed and delivered to accommodate both retail and hospitality premises, engineered flexibly for easy adaptation to emerging building technologies, thus making the site a flexible, systematic and fully functional mixed-use development.

W1 Place is an exemplar of HDR’s building engineering services team contributing to a modern mixed–use development, achieving the best application of high–quality materials, natural light and space within a constrained site. The development delivers a luxurious and enchanting central city living experience for its residents which sits within the rich architectural and historic communities of Marylebone and Fitzrovia.