Refurbishing a dilapidated Edwardian department store for retail, hospitality and collaborative workspaces, Squire and Partners faced the question of which layers to scrape away, which to cover up and which to preserve. (Among those layers: mahogany parquet floors and a tiled staircase with wrought-iron banisters.) Their utilitarian interventions, including new cabling and bespoke lighting, now coexist alongside these treasures rather than meld with them. But this hands-off approach had its limits: Squire and Partners also carved out voids between floors for better interplay and circulation. Most dramatically, a new level – housed in oak-framed, copper-shingled pavilions – sits atop the roof, with hothouse-style windows that overlook a green terrace.

Project: The Department Store Location: London, U.K. Firm: Squire and Partners, U.K.

Team: Squire and Partners with Jon Dingle, Hannah Keen, Steve Porter, David Stillman and Gary Teden