23rd April 2020

JRA Completes First Phase of Frederick’s Place Masterplan

JRA has completed the first phase of the Frederick’s Place masterplan for The Mercers’ Company, a livery company focused on philanthropy. Consisting of 7 and 8 Frederick’s Place and 35 Old Jewry, the retrofit of the three historic buildings forms a key part of the company’s home estate in the City of London.

The buildings were originally designed by the preeminent architect Robert Adam, notable for his neoclassical style and other prominent projects including Kenwood House and The Adelphi. 7 and 8 Frederick’s Place and 35 Old Jewry are grade II listed and date back to the 1750s. The buildings were unsympathetically remodelled in the 1970s, and lost a number of period features. JRA took a sensitive approach to restoring the remaining Adam’s features including the ornate ceilings and fireplaces, and allowed the history of the buildings to influence the interventions that transformed them into a contemporary workplace. The team interconnected the three buildings and provided a unified central reception. On the upper floors JRA created open plan workspace on a backdrop of exposed brickwork with discreetly integrated services. In addition, a new roof terrace was installed at the south side.

The buildings have been fully leased and JRA continues to work on the second phase of The Mercers’ Company’s estate regeneration at 1-3 Frederick’s Place.