Westminster Council has unanimously approved plans for a comprehensive redevelopment of the historic Vogue building in London's Hanover Square. The project, designed by Piercy&Company for building owner Nautilina Limited, received approval on July 22 despite some heritage concerns. The ambitious scheme involves a deep retrofit, extension, and partial demolition of the existing 1950s office block to create expanded workspace alongside new retail and restaurant facilities.
The iconic London building holds significant cultural importance, having been purpose-built for Condé Nast in 1958 and serving as the headquarters for prestigious fashion publications Vogue and Vanity Fair until 2024. Council members acknowledged that the public benefit of increased office space outweighed heritage concerns related to the nearby St. George's Church, which sits within this sensitive historical area.
Piercy&Company's design takes a conservation-minded approach, preserving most of the existing façade and structural framework while retaining 62 percent of the current floor space through deep retrofit rather than complete demolition. The project will significantly expand the building's capacity, adding more than 4,000 square meters of office space and approximately 500 square meters of retail and restaurant area. The rear of the building will be extended with new external office amenity terraces starting from the fourth floor upward.
The redevelopment includes a new rooftop extension at the eighth level, while the existing seventh-level extension will be completely replaced. All existing office spaces will be upgraded to meet the highest environmental and industry standards, with the entire project targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainability. This environmental focus represents a commitment to modern green building practices while respecting the structure's historical significance.
Despite the planning committee's recognition that the site sits within a heritage-sensitive location, they ultimately determined that the economic benefits of increased office and retail space justified the development. However, the project did face some opposition from local residents, with several objections lodged on Westminster's planning application page. One nearby resident specifically raised concerns about the planned extension partially blocking sunlight to their top-floor home at 11-13 Pollen Street due to the building's increased mass and height.
Interestingly, public support for the project outweighed opposition, with more comments favoring the plans than opposing them. Supporters cited positive environmental considerations and minimal impact on surrounding retail and residential properties as key factors in their endorsement. This public backing helped demonstrate community acceptance of the development's benefits.
Stuart Piercy, founding director of Piercy&Company, characterized the project as "a sensitive intervention in a much-loved London square." He emphasized that the design features "gentle contemporary extensions" using "a palette of materials which would age gracefully." Piercy noted that after extensive research and investigation, the client and design team chose to "sensitively retrofit the existing building, so it can once again become an elegant headquarters."
The Vogue building redevelopment represents the latest milestone in Hanover Square's ongoing transformation into a premier destination for business and retail. This area revitalization has been significantly boosted by the addition of a nearby Elizabeth Line station and several other major development projects in the surrounding neighborhood. The project involves an extensive team of specialists, including Avison Young as project manager, Max Fordham for building services engineering, Heyne Tillett Steel for structural engineering, and various other consultants covering planning, fire safety, transport, communications, environmental impact, and ecology considerations.
