You’ve just moved into your new offices and you’re sharing them with lots of other enthusiastic start-ups companies and entrepreneurs. It’s great to have finally moved out of that draughty garage and into a building that has a receptionist, a flushing toilet and even a microwave, right? You’re on your way up…
Don’t look too hard at Enstar Capital’s office building in Mayfair, then, because you might feel somewhat deflated. There is no other London city office space like this one. You may want to look away now if you’re prone to envy.
Last October, property developers Enstar Capital opened its brand new boutique suite of offices at 54 Brooks’ Mews in Mayfair and it’s something of a showstopper.
Paved with gold
In realityit’s “gold effect”, but the Art Deco staircase has a gilded handrail and polished brass stairgrips bedded into the marble. The bathrooms are also covered in gold mosaic effect from floor to ceiling to resemble the five star Armani Hotel in Milan. Enstar believes that offices should be as luxurious and comfortable as homes and in an area where people spend up to £100 million on a pad, golden radiators are the least one can expect at work.
Enstar worked with architects Stiff &Trevillion, the practice which helped smoothie giant Innocent move into its new offices in Portobello Dock, on the interior of the 1936 building. The Art Deco entrance was painstakingly restored and a new entrance sign based on the iconic Studio 54 nightclub logo placed atop the doorway.
The building has had a varied past – in 1975 it became the HQ of casino business City Tote, which left in the 1990s. It then fell under the auspices of the Grosvenor estate, which rented out offices to various enterprises.
Tuscan flooring
The developers spent £4 million on this venture, £3 million of which was spent on the interiors alone. This included importing reclaimed hardwood timber from a 16th century Tuscan monastery for the flooring.
Up top there’s a rooftop terrace and there’s not a vending machine or a microwave in sight. Instead, workers at these plush offices can order three-course gourmet lunches and even Champagne from La Petite Maison, the restaurant located oh-so conveniently below them. The meals arrive hot and the Champers arrives chilled via a series of dumb waiters, so no nipping out for an egg mayo sandwich for these guys.
Record-breaking
In total there’s 6,000 square feet of office space in this Mayfair block. The first and second floors offer 2,000 square feet each of office space, and a five year lease on either will set companies back by around £250,000 each year. This works out at a record-breaking £500 per square foot making this block the priciest in the capital.
Enstar Capital bought the block in 2009 because the founding directors, Simon Lyons and FaridAlizadeh, were particularly fond of La Petite Maison. The restaurant serves whole roast black leg chickens or marinated legs of lamb for £80.00. It’s certainly something to aim for.