Serviced office provider Argyll has started a £3.5m refurbishment of the grade II-listed Hudson House, the former home of Country Life magazine, in London’s Covent Garden.
The project to create 48 private offices over 14,000 sq ft across seven floors of the 1904 Edwin Lutyens-designed building has already got under way and is expected to be completed by June.
Argyll acquired the building in 2005 and has since run it as serviced offices, which were recently vacated to enable the refurbishment programme to begin, a spokeswoman for the firm said.
The company said the redesign will feature Lutyens’ original marble floor and vaulted ceilings on the ground level, which first operated as the editorial offices, while the upper floors, previously the magazine’s printworks, will be given a more industrial and modern design.
Emily Smith, who became chief executive of Argyll earlier this year, said: “We are delighted to be relaunching a newly refurbished Hudson House into the vibrant Covent Garden area. The property has been part of Argyll since 2005 and sits perfectly within our portfolio of architecturally interesting buildings in prime central London locations.
“We’re curating a modern workspace experience that honours the building’s heritage, while meeting the evolving needs of today’s workers, and we’re excited to welcome customers into this transformed space.”
Emma Turner, design custodian for the project, said: “One of the guiding principles of our design approach for Hudson House was to create a calm, considered working environment – a sanctuary for Argyll customers coming in from the bustling Covent Garden.
“It is a real honour to be working so closely with an original Lutyens design and to be able to foreground his original features throughout the renovation.”
Argyll, which was acquired by private equity firm Crosstree Real Estate Partners last year, recently bought 33 Chancery Lane, its first purchase in over 20 years.
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