Reef Group was selected to reimagine the landmark as a boutique lifestyle hotel. The ambition was clear: bring the building back into active use without losing the history, character and presence that made it significant.

Working alongside Urban R as concept architects, we were appointed to deliver the refurbishment, extension and interior fit-out. The site sits within a tightly constrained city block, surrounded by Oxford University buildings, a medieval church and the remains of the old city wall — each under different ownerships. Navigating complex heritage sensitivities and party wall arrangements was central to the brief.

We approached the project as a careful retrofit rather than wholesale redevelopment.

Stripping the building back to its structural fabric allowed us to understand its evolution and rationalise the layout for hotel use. We introduced new circulation cores with minimal structural intervention, retaining the primary frame to significantly reduce embodied carbon while preserving the building’s generous proportions.

Recent incongruous extensions were removed to create a new central courtyard — a defining move that brings daylight and natural ventilation deep into the plan. At its centre, a six-storey living wall enhances biodiversity, improves air quality and provides a calm internal focus within the dense urban block.

Below ground, we reworked existing basement levels to accommodate a spa and gym, maximising the building’s footprint without increasing its mass. Externally, new roof-level additions were carefully set back to respect Oxford’s layered skyline. Material choices respond to the surrounding townscape, clearly distinguishing contemporary interventions from retained historic façades.

The hotel was designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent, embedding sustainability through reuse, high-performance upgrades, green roofs and efficient building services.

Sustainability was integral to the project, embedded through the decision to prioritise reuse over demolition. Retaining the primary structure delivered significant embodied carbon savings, while targeted upgrades improved the building’s environmental performance. 

The scheme was designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent, balancing heritage constraints with contemporary standards of comfort and efficiency. Improved insulation, high-performance glazing, efficient building services and the introduction of green roofs all contribute to reduced operational energy use. The central courtyard and living wall further support passive environmental strategies, enhancing comfort while reducing reliance on mechanical systems.

Reopened as The Store, the building now offers 101 hotel rooms, a street-level bar and restaurant, basement spa and gym, and a rooftop terrace with panoramic views across Oxford’s historic skyline. What was once a closed retail block has been reconnected to the city, contributing to the vitality of the public realm and inviting both visitors and locals back inside. 

The project demonstrates how a careful retrofit and conservation-led approach can give new purpose to historic buildings without diminishing their identity. By working with the existing fabric, respecting context and embracing collaboration, The Store offers a model for heritage-led regeneration that is sustainable, sensitive and deeply rooted in place.