Portman Estate

The historic Portman Estate was founded in 1764 when Henry William Portman began his development of 200 acres of meadow, north of Mayfair and south of Marylebone.

In 2011, the organisation moved from 38 Seymour Street to 40 Portman Square. The Estate acquired 7,820 sq ft on the ground floor to provide accommodation for 57 employees. KKS were commissioned to provide design services to formulate the client brief requirements and implement interior design. Portman Estate’s vision was to create an interior, with enhanced integrated connectivity between the front-of-house and workspaces, and exhibit Portman Estate’s collection of heritage artworks and artefacts.

Views to Portman Square are opened up by thoughtful positioning of reception and meeting rooms, connecting the interior spaces to the green vista beyond The design strategy finely interlaced traditional and contemporary elements, to create an elegant, prestigious and functional interior.

The space planning strategy emphasises the openness of the floor, with enhanced access to natural daylight, and combined with the contemporary design features creates a bright and stimulating workplace environment. The staff café, in the southwest corner of the floorplate, gives clear sightlines across open plan, with its high tables and banquette seating. The café has been a success, providing employees with an appealing environment for informal meetings and dining and breakout space. Curvilinear glazing creates a dynamic and energising design feature.