London’s first cycle-in office set to open

The doors are about to open to London’s first ever cycle-in office: Alphabeta in Finsbury Square.

Commuters will be able to cycle directly into the early 20th-century building – retrofitted by Studio RHE – via an indoor ramp that leads to the basement storage room, with enough space for 250 bicycles.

A basketball court, café and co-working space run by Huckletree are also among the perks for workers in this eight-storey, 240,000 sq ft building – aimed at both creative and financial companies.

The office space takes its name from its location on the border of the City of London. ‘We wanted to connect it to the Shoreditch side so we called it Alphabeta – alpha being the City and beta, Shoreditch,’ says Richard Hywel Evans, founder of Studio RHE.

Alphabeta was once three separate structures – built between 1910 and 1930 – which were made into one in the 1980s, when it was called Triton Court.

Studio RHE retained the bones and detailing of the original architecture, exposing old steel columns, cornices and brickwork. The varying ceiling and floor heights were kept rather than levelled and the practice also converted two towers – previously inaccessible – into meeting spaces.

Alphabeta is capped by more office spaces on the rooftop, overlooking the London skyline, as well as a shared terrace for other tenants in the building.

‘We often separate people who work in the tech and financial sectors,’ added Evans. ‘But ultimately they want the same thing.’

Tenants, including Silicon Valley Bank and creative agency We Are Social, will be moving into Alphabeta in the coming weeks.