197 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London

In a west London neighbourhood well-known to Stiff+Trevillion, this office-led new-build for L M Stern has given an overlooked corner site new emphasis. Drawing material references from the residential terraces to the south, the building is of load-bearing red brick, glazed at street level. The elevations reflect the structural logic, with double-height windows on the first two storeys and very deep scalloped lintels spanning the six-metre openings. To the street they give the feel of a shop awning; turned upside down on the roofline they create a parapet resonant of tall chimneys.