Sweeps

The Sweeps building is located at the back of the Johnson Building site, with a separate entrance on Leather Lane and pedestrian access through the private patio connected to the offices. Its name comes from the building's original function: it was where the neighbourhood's jewellery workshops would take the shavings they swept up from their floors to be made into gold bars.

The building currently contains 14 residential units, offices and jewellery workshops with the ground floor and basement featuring triple height ceilings. The façade was originally designed by Wallis Gilbert and was kept, along with the internal structure, to convey the industrial character and feel of times gone by, as well as provide high ceilings in the flats that blend with the monochrome fittings and solid oak floors. Balconies at the back of the flats increase their internal space, while the top floor flats also have roof terraces. There is an elegant metal and glass structure overlooking the patio to the Johnson Building, which provides access between floors.

The central design concept for the flats is rooted in allowing the building's industrial history to shine through. The exposed concrete columns and ribbed slabs and ceilings were painted in bright colours to emphasise the generous heights. The steel window frames were replaced by contemporary equivalents that maintain the original Art Deco style. Inside, white and black were used liberally, while the floors provide pastel tones. The open-plan kitchens and fully equipped bathrooms reflect the design project's simplicity and elegance.