New use destination in London. Buildings and paths form the background to the Garden

Royal Mail's old sorting office building near Oxford Street, London, has been transformed by Make Architects into a high-quality mixed-use complex with a new garden that is accessible to the public

Designed as a sorting office in 1951, the site was previously inaccessible to the public. Now two L-shaped blocks extending from six to nine floors surrounding a garden that creates a feeling of discovery and provides an oasis of relaxation within walking distance of the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street

The paths vary: some are wide and open to the sky with entrances through patinated bronze gates designed by Robert Orchardson and creep into the garden, others are covered and less evident, with jade green glazed ceramic passages. The proportions of these passages also vary: one narrower, with a glazed bridge connecting the residential elements to the north and west of the site, while the other is wider. The ceramic arches are marked by windows that reveal the commercial units behind

The building and the paths were deliberately designed as a backdrop of the garden, with glazed ceramic bricks that reflect the colors and seasons, amplifying the pleasant sensory experience. The garden of 1. 800 m2 completes the architecture with a range of spaces that include a rich palette of plants, water games and seats for the public. A central lawn is framed by semi-seasoned trees, shrubs and plants. The lawn rises gently towards a tactile bench made of curved wood that separates it from the plants

The taller buildings reach nine floors on the north side and descend to connect with the eclectic Fitzrovian architecture, which mixes Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian styles. The facade has been divided into vertical elements that overlook the street. Similarly, the uses are contextual to the commercial elements on the south side of the building and to the apartments and retail trade connected to the residential areas in the north

The palette of materials is characterized by tones of bricks, ceramics and special metals, reflecting the rich details of the area, which is largely monochromatic promoting the cleanliness of lines and allowing the garden and green jade passages to be the main feature. The elements overlooking the street have a clay brick of a similar tone but without the glass finish of the interior

The materials and their proportions were selected to express the uses of the building. The staircase of the commercial element, which is fully rented to Facebook for its UK headquarters, is much larger, with large linear windows and stainless steel cantilevered panels across the width. On the contrary, the residential element has windows of a more adequate size and is much more tactile and playful. The ceramics are light-colored; some are handmade, others pressed, others extruded to give a variety of finishes, reflections and shadows, but each of them serves to show a certain level of detail and quality

There are 160 apartments in total, with 50 different types to minimize repetition and add a sense of uniqueness. The apartments have their own outdoor space, be it a balcony or a terrace; these are defined either with glass balustrades, with laminated, ribbed, ceramic with steel spindles and handrails made of worked wood

A project that successfully embodies a number of added values, not only for end users but also for the general public, by creating a new space accessible to the public