A modernist office building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect David Chipperfield has become the first of his works to receive statutory heritage protection in England. The Grade II listing for 1 Cobham Mews in north London was granted following a request by The Twentieth Century Society, which petitioned Historic England after plans emerged to convert the 1989 modernist office building into residential homes.
The building, which features top-lit, loft-like studio spaces inspired by Japanese architecture, represents David Chipperfield Architects' debut new-build project in the United Kingdom. Located on a former scrapyard site off Agar Grove, the structure served as the architectural firm's first headquarters for more than 20 years before the practice relocated to Waterloo in 2011.
The official listing entry describes the building as "a sophisticated composition realized with clarity and rigor, which reflected a wider re-engagement with modernism [that] emerged in the mid-1980s and became a significant strand of architectural culture into the new millennium." The designation further notes that "Cobham Mews Studios embodied the formative influences on Chipperfield's approach and the themes and preoccupations which thread through his subsequent work."
Chipperfield, now 71, actively supported the listing application and has described the studio as "an important early project for our practice." The office, split into three distinct elements, later became the studio of landscape architects Gustafson Porter & Bowman after David Chipperfield Architects vacated the premises.
The heritage protection came in response to redevelopment plans submitted by BGP Studio, a sister company of Gustafson Porter & Bowman, which sought to convert the building into four residential units. The original design and access statement, submitted to Camden Council last year, stated: "Given the residential character of the area in which the building is placed and the need to bring the building up to current standards of insulation and carbon-free heating, it has been decided to apply for a change of use from Category E office use to Category C3 dwelling house use, for which the building's form and character is eminently suited and requires very little change in its external appearance."
The conversion application prompted several objections from neighbors, who raised concerns about the impact on the building's architectural integrity and potential privacy issues from overlooking. Following the Grade II listing decision, the current application is expected to be withdrawn and resubmitted to account for the building's new protected status.
Built on an awkward triangular plot bounded by back gardens on all three sides, the building presents only one visible elevation. The site's geometry and planning conditions that required avoiding overlooking neighboring properties led to a design favoring top-lit, loft-like studio spaces. Chipperfield has stated that the controlled views drew inspiration from Victorian artists' studios and Japanese architectural traditions.
The main studio spaces are externally represented by two double-height glass block screens, reminiscent of the famous Maison du Verre in Paris designed by Pierre Chareau and Bernard Bijvoet between 1928-32. These symmetrical screens are separated by a spine wall of exposed concrete, with substantial oak doors positioned on either side. Each door opens onto stairs running along the spine wall to mezzanine-level studio spaces, featuring exposed concrete treads and slender metal handrails that reference Le Corbusier's Maisons Jaoul in Paris (1954-56).
Catherine Croft, director of The Twentieth Century Society, celebrated the successful listing application, stating: "Before the Neues Museum and the Hepworth Wakefield, before the Pritzker Prize, there was 1 Cobham Mews Studio. In this modest, modernist backlands project, we can see early evidence of the rigor and meticulous attention to detail that would later become hallmarks of David Chipperfield's work." She added that the organization was "absolutely thrilled" by the successful application, noting it was well-timed as the practice celebrates 40 years, with more early projects on their radar for potential listing.
The building's interiors showcase simple, carefully detailed, high-quality materials that would later become a signature of Chipperfield's work. The original project team included David Chipperfield as partner in charge and Michael Cullinan as project architect, with assistance from Jorge Carvalho, Evan Webber, Robert Maxwell, and John Southall. Price Myers served as structural engineer, and the client was Derwent Valley Properties.
According to current assessments, the building survives in excellent condition both externally and internally, with its original layout, finishes, and fixtures remaining intact. A spokesperson for Gustafson Porter & Bowman, while declining to provide a public statement on the listing decision, noted that the firm has "enjoyed working in the building." The heritage designation ensures that any future changes to this significant early work by one of Britain's most celebrated contemporary architects will be carefully considered to preserve its architectural and historical value.
