{"id":213484,"date":"2023-06-26T12:08:55","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T16:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=213484"},"modified":"2023-06-26T12:09:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T16:09:00","slug":"lsm-milbank-london-office-design","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/lsm-milbank-london-office-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Milbank\u2019s London Office by LSM Makes Return to Work Worth It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\"the
Linear LEDs slice through polished stainless steel along the atrium\u2019s stairway connecting the eighth and ninth floors, while a built-in bench supplements 375 chairs by Walter Knoll and LSM\u2019s custom sofa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

June 26, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Laura Fisher Kaiser<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Eric Laignel<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Milbank\u2019s London Office by LSM Makes Return to Work Worth It<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In early 2020, after months of anticipation, LSM had just completed the New York headquarters<\/a> of international law firm Milbank when the pandemic forced staff to Zoom from home indefinitely. Nearly two years later, as restrictions eased, LSM<\/a> unveiled Milbank\u2019s London office at 100 Liverpool Street, the net-zero, amenities-packed, mixed-use anchor of the city\u2019s revitalized Broadgate neighborhood. This time, however, things were different. Cube culture was out; remote work and 30-second commutes were in. What would it take to make folks embrace office life again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a word: \u201cjoy,\u201d according to Milbank managing partner Julian Stait. The new workplace had to signal that, \u201cPeople here are at the center of what we do.\u201d To that end, says LSM founding partner and Interior Design<\/em> Hall of Fame member Debra Lehman Smith<\/a>, \u201cWe tailored every inch of the 100 Liverpool space to be active, energizing, and conducive to good work. It is very different from one\u2019s home, and that is very intentional. This is an escape from home. With every detail we thought about what would make the client want to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously, Milbank\u2019s London operations comprised 54,000 square feet split between four noncontiguous floors in two adjacent buildings in the Moorgate area. Since moving 1 mile east, the office\u2019s 140 attorneys now occupy 90,000 square feet on two inter\u00adconnected floors, with spectacular views of St. Paul\u2019s Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How LSM Revamped Milbank’s London Office<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"the
The new London office of Milbank by LSM, which also designed the law firm\u2019s New York head\u00adquarters, occupies the top two floors of 100 Liverpool Street, is wrapped by terraces, and features several site-specific artworks to harmonize with the building\u2019s curved curtain wall. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The site sits adjacent to a cross-rail hub, which appealed to Milbank\u2019s commitment to sustainability. In fact, the entire project was in many ways a large-scale recycling effort. Hopkins Architects created the L-shape base building by connecting two old structures with a rotunda topped by a glass canopy, then stripped the tired 1980\u2019s cladding from the original and replaced it with an undulating glazed facade. Retaining 32 percent of the original steelwork and 49 percent of the concrete significantly reduced the embodied carbon in the new structure, and 99.8 percent of waste associated with the project\u2019s construction was diverted from landfill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LSM amplified and echoed the curvilinear vibe throughout the interior, from custom crescent-shape sofas and dimpled workstation corners to a contrasting marble floor border that highlights the organic geometry as it snakes around the curvy floor plate. However, when it came to laying out workstations and enclosed offices along the perimeter of the long floor plate, Lehman Smith and team relied on regular geometry for efficient space planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The upper floors of the building were progressively stepped back to reduce massing from the fine grain of the urban fabric and create a series of planted terraces. \u201cThe terraces and the ability to work and meet within a garden setting were major factors in the selection of this site,\u201d Milbank partner Suhrud Mehta explains. Since the law firm was the lead tenant, leasing the top two floors, eight and nine, LSM was able to tailor the building to the client\u2019s needs while it was still under construction. That included adding and relocating doors for greater access to the rooftop English garden as well as installing an electrical infrastructure to power special outdoor events. LSM also moved building services away from key terrace views and expanded the HVAC and ventilation systems to accommodate a robust, round-the-clock food-service program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Office Design Features Bespoke Details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"the
Linear LEDs slice through polished stainless steel along the atrium\u2019s stairway connecting the eighth and ninth floors, while a built-in bench supplements 375 chairs by Walter Knoll and LSM\u2019s custom sofa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The two most dramatic bespoke moves were cutting a new slab opening for an interconnecting stairway in the atrium and then, with the help of art consultant Patrick Morey-Burrows, commissioning three large-scale, site-specific pieces by contemporary artists. \u201cEach of them is a brilliant star!\u201d proclaims Lehman Smith, whose signature has long been creating workplaces to embrace amazing art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As staff and visitors enter the atrium and make their way to conference and office spaces, they pass through and around Paul Morrison\u2019s Cyclorama<\/em>. His overscale, monochromatic botanical motifs encircle the curved walls on both levels and play off the black-framed glazing in a way that is reminiscent of a Victorian garden conservatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art Installations Add Visual Intrigue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another focal point that draws circulation to key spaces is Idris Kahn\u2019s Integration of Hope, 2021<\/em>, which covers an entire rounded wall on the eighth floor. Composed of 15 layers of hand-mixed gesso\u2014consisting of slate and marble dust, Prussian blue, and ultramarine pigments\u2014the result is a violet tone so intense that it can only be described as sonorous. What looks like a color study from afar takes on new meaning as one draws closer and realizes that Khan has used oil paint to hand-stamp overlapping words and phrases that express his ideas about diversity and inclusion into an abstract, universal language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out on the terrace sits Jeppe Hein\u2019s Sine Curve I<\/em>, a sculptural installation of head-height reflective panels arranged in a meandering formation. As the viewer moves about, their own reflection bounces around, shifting the focus from themselves to the London skyline, to the office behind them, and back. It\u2019s a good reminder to stay focused in a world that is at sometimes unfamiliar and disorienting\u2014and to stop and smell the roses on the terrace before getting back to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside Milbank’s London Office<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Italian
Paul Morrison\u2019s Cyclorama encircles both atrium levels, where flooring is Italian marble bordered by Basaltite. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"Paul
An Eero Saarinen side table reflecting Morrison\u2019s mural. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"a
Downstairs, a block-print detail of Integration of Hope, 2021 by Idris Khan. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"a
Reception\u2019s polished stainless steel\u2013clad column. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Idris
Khan\u2019s mural comprises 15 layers of handmade gesso. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a
Hopkins Architects created the L-shape base building by con\u00adnecting two old structures with a rotunda topped by a glass canopy, then replacing the 1980\u2019s cladding with a glazed fa\u00adcade.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a
A Jenny Holzer series adds color to a perimeter conference room with Graph chairs by Jehs+Laub.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a
Morrison\u2019s bold botanicals complement the organic, curvilinear structure.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a
A stretched ceiling caps a meeting room with Eames Aluminum Group chairs around a customized Logan table by Andreas St\u00f6riko. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a
Theodore Waddell\u2019s 713 table stands in a breakout space between conference rooms defined by demountable glass partitions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"the
Sine Curve I by Jeppe Hein enlivens the terrace. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"stairs
LSM\u2019s slab cut between floors allowing for the custom stair. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"an
An office along the perimeter. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"inverted
Inverted corners of custom adjust\u00adable workstations upholstered in leatherlike Ultraleather.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"a
To control acoustics in the office area, Ultraleather panels walls and carpet tile is CE-, GUT-, and Green Label Plus\u2013certified. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT TEAM<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
LSM<\/span><\/a>: rebecca montesi; mario degisi; yun gui; donnie morphy; mark andre; evie soileau; shahram ameryoun; james black mcleish<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
fisher marantz stone<\/span><\/a>: lighting consultant<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
art source<\/span><\/a>: art consultant<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
akt ii<\/span><\/a>: struc\u00adtural engineer<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
hilson moran<\/span><\/a>: mep<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
unifor<\/span><\/a>: millwork<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
specialist joinery group<\/span><\/a>: metalwork<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
structure tone<\/span><\/a>: general contractor<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
PRODUCT SOURCES<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
FROM FRONT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
spinneybeck<\/span><\/a>: chair, sofa upholstery (atrium)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
knoll<\/span><\/a>: side table<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
wilkhahn<\/span><\/a>: chairs (conference room), table (meeting room)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
quadrant<\/span><\/a>: carpet (conference room, meeting room)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
newmat<\/span><\/a>: ceilings<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
mechoshade<\/span><\/a>: paneling<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
cassina<\/span><\/a>: table (breakout)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
interstuhl<\/span><\/a>: chair (office)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
vorwerk<\/span><\/a>: carpet tile (office area)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
sas<\/span><\/a>: ceiling system<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Ultrafabrics<\/span><\/a>: ultraleather<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
THROUGHOUT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
campo\u00adlonghi<\/span><\/a>: flooring<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
ergonom<\/span><\/a>: furniture supplier<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
dulux<\/span><\/a>: paint<\/span><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n