Westminster councillors are today set to approve an overhaul of the century-old Oxford Street home of Selfridges to create more selling space.
The department store is renowned for its imposing Grade II listed neo-classical frontage built in 1909, but the council’s planning committee should tonight rubber-stamp an estimated £10 million plan to rebuild the newer SWOD building — named after the former Somerset, Wigmore, Orchard and Duke streets which surrounded it — with an extra floor to the rear of the grander building facing on to Oxford Street. The scheme has been approved by officers.
The plans are unrelated to Shard architect Renzo Piano’s masterplan for the store’s extension in 2012.
The work will also see the creation of a new customer entrance in Duke Street, decorated with stone and bronze framing to match the current classical facade.
A tunnel will also run to the adjacent Nations House building to the north of the block also owned by Selfridges for a new staff entrance on Wigmore Street.
