THE TYPEWRITER BUILDING

140 Borough High Street, London SE1

Returning to Southwark to continue the beautification of Borough High Street we have designed The Typewriter Building. Construction completed in January 2024. This low carbon, BREEAM Excellent gut refurbishment and extension of the 18 000 sq ft original now totals 29 000 sq ft of commercial space. The development is fully pre-let to Work.Life who will be opening in summer of 2024.

The building was HQ of a German typewriter firm for whom it was built in 1957 by Richard Seifert and Wilem Frischman. The building was Seifert’s first foray into European modernism but was spoiled by insensitive change in later years.

The development potential of the site has been realised by increasing the massing at the roof and the rear whilst being sensitive to the Conservation Area and neighbouring spaces. A new step-free entrance and lift core serves all parts of the building to make it fully accessible to the widest population. Surviving features of the Seifert architecture have been restored and new ones designed in harmony. The restored and re-imagined street frontage pays homage to an earlier period of renewal in London architecture and is enhanced by full height glazing and a central entrance staircase linking two levels.