The Old War Office, London

We have pleasure sharing the visual below of the magnificent Old War Office building on Whitehall, as well as a film produced by groundworks contractor Toureen. Both demonstrate the impressive scale and intricate detail of this Grade II* listed building which is being repurposed as a flagship 120-bedroom Raffles Hotel along with 85 Branded Residences, 11 Restaurants and Bars, and other extensive amenities launching as The OWO this winter.

We have been working alongside our client Westminster Development Services, architects EPR, interior designers The Office of Thierry Despont from New York (appointed for the hotel design), and London-based Goddard Littlefair for the hotel spa. Interior designers 1508 London designed the interiors for the residential public areas and the interior base finish for the residences. In addition, we have worked with Aecom, who were responsible for the building services. The Main Contractor is Ardmore and Toureen as specialist contractor.

The final images show the recently finished lighting trials that dpa completed during the design period. These tested the exterior lighting design ideas and techniques over several nights, with the help of abseilers, to fine-tune the lighting locations with the guidance of dpa’s design team. We are very much looking forward to realising the entire lit façade when the project completes this winter.

Client: Westminster Development Services
Architect: EPR
Interior Designers: The Office of Thierry Despont; Goddard Littlefair; 1508 London
Building Services: Aecom
Main Contractors: Ardmore
Specialist Contractor: Toureen
CGI: Commissioned by WDS
Video: Courtesy of Toureen