The Whittington Building & Frederick’s Place, City of London

Unlocking major redevelopment within a sensitive historic environment

Completed: September 2024

The Heritage Practice played an important role in securing the heritage justification for the major redevelopment of Frederick’s Place, a historically significant enclave within the City of London's Guildhall Conservation Area.

A central challenge was securing acceptance of the demolition of existing heritage assets within the Conservation Area, enabling a substantial contemporary redevelopment while safeguarding the significance of neighbouring Grade II listed Georgian buildings.

Through extensive archival research, detailed assessments of heritage significance and a robust planning and heritage justification, we helped establish the case for redevelopment, demonstrating how the wider benefits of the proposals could outweigh the heritage harm arising from demolition.

Our involvement also extended to the sensitive refurbishment of the adjoining listed buildings, including No. 4 Frederick’s Place, with its important 18th-century interiors and historic associations with Sir John Soane.

The resulting Whittington Building, designed by Stanton Williams, provides approximately 4,500m² of high-quality commercial accommodation. Its carefully considered architecture responds to the surrounding historic townscape, while a new public arcade reconnects Frederick’s Place with Ironmonger Lane.

The project demonstrates our expertise in unlocking complex development opportunities within sensitive historic environments, balancing the justified loss of heritage assets, the conservation of nationally important listed buildings and ambitious contemporary architecture.