Kallos Turin gives an 18th-century London office building a new life

Since it was constructed in 1725, this French-inspired classical building in London’s posh Mayfair neighborhood has been a private home, a clinic, and now an office. By 2020, when London- and San Francisco–based design firm Kallos Turin was tasked with reinventing it yet again as a modern finance workplace, the only remaining historic elements were the decorative pediment, pilasters, and 20th-century obelisks on its exterior. The interior was a true blank slate, so studio cofounders Stephania Kallos and Abigail Turin let the spirit of this facade guide their design.

An entryway of a gray stucco-clad office by Kallos Turin — A soft, matte finish unites the gray stucco walls and ceiling treatments (Taran Wilkhu)

An exterior of a French-inspired, 1725 classical building in London — The historic exterior from 1725 was preserved and restored (Taran Wilkhu)

“Conversation with history is one of the joys of the profession,” explained Turin. Here, it’s sparked in warm minimalist details made in materials that could have appropriately been original. A fluted travertine reception desk sits in front of a patinated copper accent wall on the ground floor, accessed through arched doorways with basket-weave walnut flooring underfoot.

A patinated copper accent wall and fluted reception desk are part of Kallos Turin's design — In place of color, texture adds flair, from the fluted travertine reception to the patinated copper accent wall (Taran Wilkhu)

A conference room in London features burl walnut doors — Burl walnut makes a statement on the conference room doors and office desks (Taran Wilkhu)

Upstairs, burl walnut desks decorate open and private office spaces. The moody wood also panels the doors of a conference room. Just outside hangs a palette-matching painting by Martin Kippenberger (untitled, 1988), sourced from the client’s personal collection.

A conference room features a monstera and long black table in Mayfair — Greenery arises in the office with the help of local landscape designer Alexander Hoyle (Taran Wilkhu)

On the ground floor of the building, less access to daylight led to dimmer spaces. In response, Turin said, “we doubled down” on the low-light vibe, finishing walls with gray stucco. Where sunlight does stream into the offices’ large upper-story windows, she and Kallos called local landscape designer Alexander Hoyle to fill black built-in planters with a whimsical mix of greenery, from cacti to umbrella trees. Turin said the entire design process aimed to answer a driving question: “How do you make a space both relevant and connected to what was there before?”

In London, global design studio Kallos Turin gives an 18th-century office building a new life

History Anew

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