50 - 51 Russell Square

Client: Garnett Architecture (Architect and Lead Designer), The Bedford Estates (Client), The Heritage Practice (Heritage Consultant), Savills (Planning Consultant), Mason Navarro Pledge (Structural Engineer)

Bloomsbury, London

Executive summary from entrant:

50–51 Russell Square demonstrates how context led design can deliver meaningful planning betterment in a sensitive conservation area. The scheme retains and adapts the 1960s structure, recognising the cultural value of Brutalist architecture, while introducing a finely crafted, heritage responsive elevation that reinstates the vertical grain, hierarchy and material warmth of the Georgian terraces. The new façade integrates contextual detailing with continuity of form, improving townscape quality and achieving a 59.2% energy improvement and BREEAM Excellent. Developed through close collaboration with Camden’s Design and Conservation teams, the project shows how high quality architecture can secure consent and create lasting prospects for place improvement.