Associated Steel Window Services (ASWS) has won the Refurbishment Project of the Year category at the Steel Window Association Awards 2026 for the extensive refurbishment of the fenestration at 214 Oxford Street project, in Central London which now houses IKEA’s flagship store and HQ.
Located at 214 Oxford Street, the former Topshop flagship store has a long and documented history that shaped the complexity of its recent transformation. Originally built between 1913 and 1928 as one of four Quadrant buildings designed by Sir Henry Tanner for the Crown Estate, the property features Portland stone façades, extensive structural steelwork and a series of distinctive architectural elements – from bronze shopfronts to three circular steel rooflights crowning the fourth-floor mezzanine. Over the decades, the building also endured significant alteration, including repairs following wartime bomb damage, and long‑term issues such as leaking concealed rainwater pipes.
Following Topshop’s departure, a major two‑year refurbishment and restoration programme to create IKEA’s new London headquarters commenced. Given the building’s Grade II listing and eclectic mix of original window types, the project demanded specialist heritage expertise. Associated Steel Window Services (ASWS), already familiar to main contractor McLaren Construction, was commissioned by Avison Young to carry out a full condition survey. This appraisal became a key reference point for the project, highlighting historic damage, water ingress and the need to work sensitively around existing occupants, including Nike.
The restoration encompassed 342 steel façade windows, a series of large mansard hardwood windows, and the building’s landmark roof domes – each containing 148 panes of glass. ASWS removed and workshop‑restored around 90 corroded steel frames, overhauled and redecorated all remaining windows in situ, and carried out extensive timber repairs at upper levels. At street level, the bronze shopfronts were meticulously stripped, re‑patinated and reglazed with laminated safety glass.
One of the most physically demanding elements involved the three shallow domes above the mezzanine, where restricted access and deteriorated steelwork required exhaustive cleaning, welding and full reglazing using individually templated safety glass. All restored elements received ASWS’s newly introduced Five‑Coat redecoration system to ensure long‑term protection.
Throughout the project, ASWS worked closely with McLaren Construction and the Crown Estate’s heritage representatives, providing practical solutions to the challenges uncovered in this century‑old landmark. Their craftsmanship, attention to detail and specialist capabilities ensured the building’s historic character was preserved while readying it for its next chapter as a contemporary workplace.
Judging the awards, John Ramshaw, Technical Editor of Architecture Today, comments: “Located on Oxford Street in London’s West End, this Grade II-listed building presented a complex refurbishment challenge, shaped by a long construction history and a wide variety of window types. Works formed part of a major programme to convert the building into a new headquarters for IKEA. The scope included the treatment of more than 340 steel windows, along with associated elements, such as bronze shopfronts, timber windows, and three large and intricate domed rooflights. A combination of insitu refurbishment and off-site restoration was undertaken, with approximately 90 frames removed for repair and the remainder overhauled on site. The scope included the controlled removal of lead-based coatings, reglazing where necessary, and the repair or replacement of ironmongery and structural components. Rooflight domes required full deglazing, structural repair and the installation of individually templated safety glass panes. Bronze shopfronts were dismantled, repaired, re-patinated and reglazed, while additional elements, such as cast-iron mullions and external lighting, were restored within a constrained and partially occupied site.
“Associated Steel Window Services (ASWS) has undertaken a wide-ranging and technically demanding programme with a consistent level of care and attention to detail throughout. The scope and complexity of the project is reflected in the variety of elements addressed, from façade windows to intricate rooflight structures. Restoration of the domes required a high degree of precision and coordination. A clear understanding of both heritage requirements and site constraints underpins the delivery of this scheme. A thoroughly deserving winner.”
For further information on the Steel Window Association or if you’re interested in becoming a member, please visit www.steel-window-association.co.uk.