Designed as a post office mail sorting office in 1951, the site was formerly inaccessible to the public when it was bought by London developer Great Portland Estates plc (GPE). Now, two L-shaped blocks stepping from six to nine storeys surround a garden that takes up 20% of the GDA.
     From the outset, the architect worked with Publica to choreograph the routes and connections, and the garden square is designed Gustafson Porter + Bowman. The garden gives a feeling of discovery that is typical of Fitzrovia, and provides an oasis away from the hubbub of Oxford Street.
     The routes through the scheme vary: some are wide and open to the sky, entering through patinated bronze gates and meandering through the garden, while others are covered and less obvious, with jade green glazed ceramic passageways that evoke the precedent of the 18th-century Newman Passage. Here the bullnose detail and crackle glaze finish encapsulate the high level of detail and finish that has gone into the project.
     The proportions of these passageways vary too: one is narrower, with a glass bridge that connects the residential elements to the north and west of the site, while the other is broader. The ceramic archways are punctuated by windows that allow glimpses into the retail units behind … Read full story with more photos and plans in Building Journal April 2018 issue. Subscribe Building Journal E-version <click here>

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