The Elephant, London

Sustainable retrofit of iconic Oxford Street landmark

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Location

Central London

Client

Publica Properties

Partner

PDP London

Sector

Workplace, Heritage

Theme

Retrofit

Services Provided

Structural Engineering

A landmark 1930s department store is transformed into a sustainable, office-led mixed-use development, retaining much of the original structure and reusing steelwork to drastically reduce embodied carbon emissions.

Located in a conservation area ‘The Elephant’ is a major retrofit of the former department store. Our engineering team is delivering a low-carbon redevelopment, retaining the majority of the 1930s steel frame and reconfiguring the structure for modern mixed-use, including offices, retail, a rooftop restaurant and a gym.

Key work includes the removal of two floors and replacement with three new steel-framed levels. We reused historic steel columns within the rooftop extension and rehomed surplus beams to a nearby project - together saving over 40 tonnes of CO₂. A new stability core is inserted within the former escalator void, and structural sequencing has been carefully planned to meet a fast-track programme.

The project also includes extensive façade restoration. Our forensic structural analysis revealed earlier diagnoses were overstated, enabling a repair strategy that retains original materials and significantly reduces cost, carbon and programme. The project is targeting BREEAM Excellent and WELL Gold.

Innovative retrofit of a former Oxford Street department store into a sustainable mixed-use hub, retaining the historic structure, reusing pre-war steelwork, and introducing a new stability core while cutting embodied carbon and preserving heritage.

This project is widely recognised as a landmark example of adaptive reuse in a dense, heritage-rich setting. It demonstrates how deep retrofit can meet the highest standards of design, sustainability and placemaking.

The scheme has already gained industry acclaim, with award wins and shortlisting across categories including retrofit, conservation, and commercial transformation. It has been praised for its ambitious design response to complex structural constraints and its alignment with Net Zero ambitions.