Eastworks

For client Clyde Gateway, Sheppard Robson and INCH Architecture + Design have collaborated to breathe new life into a disused gas purifier shed, a structure from the area’s Victorian industrial past that has been mostly unused for around 65 years. The refurbished shed now houses 30,000ft2 of workplace that benefits from the character of the existing structure, preserving one of only five historic buildings to remain in the area.

The 94m-long, double-barreled structure has been divided into five workspaces, retaining the original volumes, creating offices with drama, openness flooded with natural light. While interventions remain discreet and respectful, fresh components have been incorporated to breathe new life into the building.
Lightweight mezzanines and new service spines facilitate a contemporary work environment, their placement carefully designed so units can be joined together in the future.
The fresh east elevation showcases floor-to-ceiling glazing framed in exposed steel, seamlessly relating to the original structure. Along Dora Street the historic arched windows have been extended to the floor, flooding the interior with light through expansive windows and doors.

Internally the original steel frame stands exposed, celebrated, and integral to the workspaces character. Vibrant orange staircases and central mezzanines held away from the existing structure introduce distinctly modern interventions, artfully contrasting the old and new. These innovative elements, exuding an industrial aesthetic maintaining a connection to the building’s original spirit.