40 Beak Street,, City of Westminster

Replacing a Victorian police boarding house, 40 Beak Street was originally designed as speculative offices above a ground-floor restaurant. Bought by artist-entrepreneur Damian Hirst for his studio, we took full advantage of its spatial potential, removing the second floor slab and leaving the hole used by the crane hoist as an open shaft through the building. Clad in lustrous turquoise glazed brick, it is a distinctive yet respectful neighbour, with a chamfered corner to mark its presence and broaden the pavement below.