Gibson Thornley

Our Orwell House project for Kajima has started on site. Located in the heart of Fitzrovia, this extensive retrofit will transform the 28,600 sq ft office building into best-in-class workspace. Retaining and extending the existing frame, we have added a further 20% of net area to provide 35,000 sq ft of aspirational and exceptionally designed space. The development aligns with best construction practices and circular economy principles, aiming to reduce embodied carbon by retaining the building’s existing structure and utilising reclaimed materials, including recycling bricks on site and reusing steel from the oil and gas industry in the structure. We are delighted to be working with Curo Construction ltd and our friends at Max Fordham LLP and Elliott Wood to deliver this ambitious project.

Gibson Thornley with Purcell have been shortlisted for the RIBA London Award 2025. The V&A’s Photography Centre is the most extensive suite of galleries in the UK dedicated to a permanent photography collection. Spanning global contemporary photography and cutting-edge commissions, to interactive displays and themed galleries showcasing the rich breadth and history of the collection, the seven galleries of the completed Photography Centre – five of which are new additions – enable visitors to experience photography and its diverse histories in new ways. "We were delighted with the work carried out by Gibson Thornley for the Photography Centre Phase 2. The sensitive restoration of the Grade I-listed galleries and attention to detailing have created an inspiring setting for the V&A’s spectacular photography collection which will be enjoyed by our visitors for years to come. The team exhibited exceptional client care – they maintained clear communication throughout and thought creatively to meet the requirements of the brief. The intervention emphasises the art and craft of building, particularly in the Royal Photographic Society library. The new galleries reveal the original structure in a contemporary way, while the design is in the detail. Gibson Thornley’s skill and client-focused approach have set a high standard for future projects and we look forward to working with them again" Katie Burrell, Head of Projects, V&A Client: Victoria and Albert Museum Architect: Gibson Thornley & Purcell Structural engineer: Harley Haddow Services: Harley Haddow Lighting: Michael Grubb Studio Main contractor: Quinn London Ltd Library contractor: PAVLIS SHOPFITTING LIMITED Photos by Jim Stephenson (1) and Thomas Adank (2).

Our reinvention of Maple House for Lazari Investments Limited has been published in Building Design. The project was part of our AYA Architect of the Year Award for Refurbishment and Reinvention 2024, and showcases how unloved buildings can be brought back to life by creating a focus on wellness, social interaction and community. A joy to collaborate with our friends at BOB Design Ltd and Studio ONB https://lnkd.in/eVdQj62k

We are delighted to share that last week, our detailed application for a new life science neighbourhood in Whitechapel received planning consent. The masterplan, led by Allies and Morrison, will help deliver a long-held vision supported by Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University of London, the Greater London Authority and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The project transforms a series of outdated buildings and empty sites around the Royal London Hospital, with a new vision that provides commercial workplace, life science laboratories and higher education space alongside new public amenities including green spaces, squares, cafes and community spaces. Within the masterplan, we have developed two buildings; Plot B1, offering small scale wet laboratory spaces for start-ups and small businesses and Plot C, a new centre for research and education for Queen Mary University. We are lucky to have had a fantastic client in NHS Property Services Ltd, and to have worked with a great team including Allies and Morrison, M3 Consulting, DP9 Limited, AKT II, Arup, Camlins, Turner & Townsend alinea and Publica to name but a few. Read more about the proposals here: https://lnkd.in/ed3gfszY #lifesciences #whitechapel #publicrealm

Gibson Thornley have won the competition to refurbish and redesign the South Asia Galleries at Victoria and Albert Museum. The project includes the refurbishment of the existing galleries and the re-design of the permanent South Asia collection. Working with, Purcell, BOB Design Ltd, Tabassum Akbar, Arpna Gupta, Ritchie+Daffin, Structure Workshop Ltd, Michael Grubb Studio, David Bonnet and Pyrolec, the project is expected to open in Spring 2028 and see a full redesign and redisplay of the gallery, “creating a welcoming and visually arresting gallery”, and “bringing new transparency to the colonial history” of the collection. The project is the third undertaken by Gibson Thornley at V&A South Kensington, following Frida Kahlo, Making Her Self Up in 2018 and the Photography Centre opened in 2023. Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A: "The V&A is delighted to be working with Gibson Thornley to transform this vital space into a welcoming gallery, that sits at the heart of the museum. Gibson Thornley's sensitive approach has a focus on atmosphere and material, offering a flexible display system that brings to life one of the very greatest collections of South Asian art and design. We are excited by the team's vision to create evocative displays of differing scales, providing new narratives and inspiring our visitors." Matt Thornley, Co-founder of Gibson Thornley: “We are delighted to be working with the V&A South Kensington on this important project. The galleries will give new insight into the collection and showcase the exquisite craft associated with South Asia.”

We are delighted to announce that Gibson Thornley have been awarded Building Design.'s Refurbishment and Reinvention Architect of the Year 2024! Rethinking existing buildings is a major part of the studio’s focus and our projects include offices, schools, homes and cultural institutions. We believe in reinvention borne from investigation and a deep understanding of place. Existing buildings are treated as opportunities, allowing us to celebrate history and breathe new life into unloved spaces. Less is more; we believe in economy, minimising carbon in construction and operation. The outcome are buildings that are engaging, exciting and don’t cost us the planet! The award recognises the work of the team at Gibson Thornley but also our fantastic clients and collaborators. #retrofit #refurbishment #reinvention #architecture #sustainability #regeneration

𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 We are excited to be recognised for our retrofit work with shortlisting for both AJ Retrofit and BD Architect of the Year Awards in 2024. Our retrofit projects vary dramatically, from Grade I listed buildings through to brutalist city blocks. However, our focus is consistent: adaption borne out of an understanding of history, environmental impact, and opportunity. Orwell House, starting on site this year, rethinks a pair of low-grade properties to create high-quality workspaces that celebrate their sustainability credentials. Working with Kajima, Max Fordham LLP and Elliott Wood, we determined how embodied and operational carbon could be minimised through design. The project retains much of the structural frame with new structure formed from repurposed pipework from the oil and gas industry. The building optimises passive strategies: natural ventilation, external shading, exposed thermal mass and connections to new planted landscapes that create spaces that are nourishing and low impact.

Read the highlights of our summer so far. Planning is granted for a sixth form in North London and an urban forest comes to life on Tottenham Court Road. 

Pleased to share that planning consent has been granted for our new sixth form centre at Ark John Keats Academy. Developed closely with the school to meet their educational need, the centre will create a high-quality, sustainable and nurturing environment for students. Our design for the building follows a low tech, low carbon approach. The structural frame, expressed throughout, presents a 38% reduction in embodied carbon compared to flat slab construction. The servicing of the building utilises the exposed thermal mass of the soffit and walls with night time purging. Deep piers and tilted spandrel panels on the facade provide passive shading to reduce solar gain and integrate mixed mode ventilation. It is a building that expresses how it is made and works, favouring simplicity over complex systems. Focus Consultants Integral Engineering Design P3R Engineers Ltd Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzDSJ9qj