ABSTRACT
Squire & Partners can now offer long-term workspaces for like-minded companies. With London rents continuing to rise, Squire & Partners acknowledges that for some, these showers are likely to be better than the ones they have at home. As the workplace of London-based architect Squire & Partners, The Department Store shows how a company headquarters can capture the spirit of co-working, promoting a culture of collaboration. Housed in a rehabilitated department store in Brixton, its interiors draw on the practice’s experience of designing workspaces, as well as lessons learned over the years about the creative power of collectivity. Other spaces in The Department Store are used by the architects but designed with sharing in mind, in a way that makes them more financially viable and efficient. The recent addition of The Department Store Studios, a five-storey extension at the rear of the building, introduces co-working to the mix.
