A historical space for a high-tech giant

In July 2019, Microsoft launched its newest flagship in London’s West End – its first flagship store in Europe. 

Covering three floors, the store is designed to build connections with the local community, businesses and customers; offering the latest technology, products and services from Microsoft and its partners. It includes an experience centre for commercial customers, a community theatre for digital learning, an answer desk for technical support and a state-of-the-art gaming lounge.

Mace acted as a project manager and cost consultant on converting the Grade II listed building into a high-tech retail space for Microsoft. This is one of the country’s most complex retail projects, where a historical building was transformed to accommodate cutting edge technology - much like Microsoft, a company making history by pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Transforming 244 Regent Street, on one of the world’s busiest retail streets, came with a number of challenges, including keeping traffic disruption to a minimum and making structural alterations on the Grade II listed building. Mace used its in-house construction team to understand the project complexity in advance and used the most efficient delivery strategies to save costs and time while preserving the listed façade of the building.