Pantechnicon

Heritage refurbishment unlocking contemporary retail and hospitality space.

Pantechnicon stands prominently on Motcomb Street, forming part of a wider revitalisation for the Grosvenor Estate and Open House joint venture. Designed by Farrell Architects, the scheme transforms a Victorian building into a layered retail and hospitality destination. The challenge lay in introducing substantial new space and circulation within a retained structure, while working within the constraints of a conservation area.

A defining structural move was the removal and reconstruction of the rear elevation from first floor to roof level. By extending the building outward by over two metres across several levels, additional floor width was created without disturbing the principal street frontage. This intervention required careful reassessment of load paths, with new structural elements introduced to redistribute forces and support more open, flexible internal layouts.

At basement level, the existing brick arches were retained and expressed as part of the bar environment, with new structural openings carefully formed to improve connectivity and circulation. Strengthening works were threaded alongside retained cast iron beams and columns to preserve their contribution while meeting current performance standards. At roof level, a new glazed rooftop addition is carried on a fair faced concrete slab, integrated into the reconfigured structural frame below.

Through a series of targeted interventions rather than wholesale replacement, the building has been reshaped to accommodate contemporary retail and hospitality uses. The resulting structural framework provides clarity and adaptability while allowing the architecture to reveal both its retained character and new additions.