The London Roundhouse (formerly the Michigan Central Roundhouse) was built by the London & South Eastern Railway Company in 1887 to service locomotive from Port Stanley to London. Over the years the industrial landmark acted as a staging post, warehouse, and restaurant. With its long-standing history, through this renovation to transform the building into an office, our firm set out to reinvigorate the heritage building while expanding its use as a contemporary space.
This adaptive re-use project sought to showcase original architectural features with steel, heavy wood, and glass structures paying homage to its industrial past. Interior structures and informal work areas that featured raw industrial interventions animate and enhance the radial nature of the building. The design of multi-level meeting rooms uses the Roundhouse’s height to maintain a visual relationship with the rest of the space. The project included the restoration of the locomotive door openings and fenestration.
This project was recognized with the ACO Paul Oberman Award for Adaptive Reuse (2015), the National Trust Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Award – Adaptive Reuse/Rehabilitation (2015), and the LSTAR Don Smith Commercial Building Awards for Commercial Repurpose Award (2015).
