Historic warehouse in Shoreditch conservation area to be converted into offices

The existing 1920s building at 293 Old Street

Developers have been given the go-ahead to convert and extend a former Old Street textile warehouse into office space.

London-based architecture firm Buckley Gray Yeoman was granted planning permission for the site at 293 Old Street, which sits within the South Shoreditch Conservation Area. Work will begin on the development in late spring.

According to plans approved by Hackney Council, construction will include the addition of two storeys on top of the existing three-storey building.

Most of the building will be used for office space, with restaurant and retail space on the ground and basement floors. One of the added storeys will be in keeping with the original brick style while the other will feature a glazed pavilion and terrace. One of the conditions of the planning permission is that the terrace will not be accessed after 10pm.

The building, on the corner of Coronet Street, used to house Eker and Albert, a textile merchant established in 1927, and a plaque commemorating its establishment can still be seen on the side of the building that reads: “Silk and Rayon Converters – Woolen Merchants”

Although the ex-warehouse is not locally listed, it lies within the Hoxton Square zone of the South Shoreditch Conservation Area. According to Hackney Council, conservation areas are “designated in order to protect and enhance the character and appearance of the historic areas.”

A statement by chartered surveyors Montagu Evans about the heritage status of the site said: “The building is not identified as a locally-listed building nor is it considered by the council to be of townscape merit.”