Lazari has appointed Vert Projects as main contractor to deliver the £22m transformation of the rebranded Carreras building in Mornington Crescent
Designed by dMFK, the refurbishment will provide a new entrance and 6,458 sq ft reception and lounge area, food and beverage hospitality space, communal co-working facilities, a new gym run by Sense Wellbeing, end-of-journey facilities and a 5,866 sq ft roof garden.
The art deco building, which was previously known as Greater London House, takes its new name from its original use as the Carreras ‘Black Cat’ factory from 1928 to 1958.
Following the closure of the factory in 1958 the building was transformed to provide 363,000 sq ft of office space and a 4,000 sq ft restaurant after the fifth and sixth floors were added in the 1970s. Lazari acquired Greater London House in August 2007 and completed its first significant internal reconstruction in 2019.
The building is currently home to ASOS, Revlon, British Heart Foundation and Clarion Housing. Shell and floor refurbished office space is currently available on the fourth floor, third floor and garden floor at lower ground level.
Adrian Crooks, head of leasing at Lazari, said: “Some of London’s most ambitious plans surround this building. The Knowledge Quarter is spreading fast and Euston will soon start to see a powerful transformation. The Carreras building is acting as a pioneer again, one hundred years after it first broke the rule book with its structure and its decoration. It’s not just the location that appeals to global companies. The office space in this building has long been something special due to its high ceilings and industrial features. It can accommodate around 3,500 jobs and its latest incarnation will make it a genuinely enjoyable place to work for all of those individual employees.”
David Roach, managing director at Vert Projects, added: “Vert Projects were chosen to take on this project due to our 30-year history with the client and experience of large schemes within occupied buildings. With this project we are not only working on a pioneering reinforced concrete structure, but have the additional challenge of trying to ensure over 3,000 current occupiers are disrupted as little as possible. However, the reward in bringing these buildings up to the latest standards is that we save embodied carbon and preserve some hugely characterful landmarks.”
The leasing agents for the building are Cushman & Wakefield and Edward Charles & Partners. The refurbishment project team also includes Gibberd Architects, KPA Electrical, ODH Services, Northvale Construction and Frixos Metalworks.
