If you live in London, or are just a fan of odd architecture, you might be familiar with No 1 Poultry, a postmodern-style building in the City of London. Built in 1997, the structure designed by architect James Stirling has a striped pink and yellow limestone façade, as well as a mish-mash of columns, turrets and and angular windows.
Now the quirky building on the corner of Bank junction is going to get a major renovation, which will include a brand-new roof garden that will be free for the public to use.
John Robertson Architects (JRA) have revealed their plans for the renovation, which will include retrofitting the Grade II*-listed landmark to make it net zero.
No 1 Poultry has been mostly empty since October 2025 when its last tenants, WeWork, moved out (though there’s currently an ongoing cultural programme in part of the building). The structure has always had a roof garden, but this is the first time it will be open to the public for free. The terrace has been part of the Coq D’Argent restaurant since 1998, however London site IanVisits reported that the old restaurant site is to be converted into offices, with the roof garden being opened up to the public.
The Apex Garden, which has views right over Bank, will be open for anyone to access. The inner circular garden will remain closed to the public, however the planning application suggests it might be opened on selected dates for special events. Planning documents revealed that the garden would be paved with planting rather than having a grass floor.
Regular folk will be able to avoid all the City suits by reaching the roof terrace via the old VIP entrance which was closed in 2016. It will have step-free access: the architects will add a new lift which visitors will take up to the fifth floor, before accessing the terrace either via a staircase or a platform lift.
The rest of the plans include modernising the ground floor retail areas and refurbishing the offices. The planning application has been submitted to the City of London for their approval, with a completion date pencilled in for autumn 2027.
First look: inside the huge revamp of a Northern line station in north London.
The north London town hall that has reopened as an exciting cultural venue.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.
