41-43 Russell Square, British Museum

The British Museum appointed our practice in 2017 to develop a feasibility study for the refurbishment of three Grade II listed perimeter properties at 41-43 Russell Square WC1B that sit adjacent to the Grade I listed museum. The Grade II listed buildings housed various British Museum support departments. We acted as Lead Consultants/ Designers, Architects, Specialist Conservation Architects and Contract Administrators.

41-43 Russell Square form part of the terrace of houses forming the western edge of Russell Square, within the Bloomsbury Conservation Area. The British Museum had moved into the properties in the early 19th century and used these properties as support offices for the organisation. The relatively low level of intervention by Museum the during its occupancy meant that many original features such as cornices, windows, fireplaces and balustrades had remained in place and that the buildings were of very significant heritage value.

The properties were in a relatively poor state of repair, with ad-hoc changes and improvements carried out over the years – including rebuilding of sections of one of the buildings after bomb damage in WWII.

The brief was to carry out sensitive refurbishment works to the Grade II listed townhouses to create lettable office accommodation to meet 21st century market expectations. With input from letting agents, we worked through several options, arriving at a solution that could deliver the brief within the set budget and caused no harm to the heritage assets.

We worked very closely with the British Museum project managers and internal design consultants to ensure strict adherence to budget. This needed clarity on priorities from the onset.

Integrating building services into the existing historic fabric posed numerous challenges which were resolved through detailed discussions with London Borough of Camden, requiring very specific information regarding services routes to be included in the Listed Building and Planning Consent Applications. We were able to deliver air-conditioned offices with minimal disruption to the fabric.

Working with engineers Alan Baxter Associates, we scheduled essential structural repairs to be carried out. This required a separate Listed Building Application for extensive opening-up works, following which the structural consultants developed a scheme for reattaching the main facades back to the main structure and strengthening the floors.

The project also involved the faithful restauration of damaged building fabric: we worked closely with specialists and artisan to reinstate lath ceilings, fibrous features and joinery elements.

Planning and Listed Consent was granted in September 2018, and the project was completed in April 2021.