John Lewis starts work on exterior renovation at Peter Jones store on Sloane Square

The John Lewis Partnership has begun renovation work on the exterior of its Peter Jones store on London’s Sloane Square, including the curved glass façade, ground floor store windows, entrances and canopy.

John Lewis received planning permission approval for the works in May 2020, following a public consultation involving the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Cadogan Estates, Historic England as well as local residents and businesses.

The exterior plans include the introduction of a new light, shadow and movement that is responsive to the environment - such as wind, rain, sunrise and sunset, which will reanimate the façade.

A new, larger and more accessible entrance to the shop on King’s Road will also be created to draw customers into the store's central atrium.

The company also received permission to reconfigure the sixth floor of the building in the future, including a dedicated restaurant, food hall, viewing terrace and a horticultural concession.

Pippa Wicks, Executive Director at John Lewis, said: “Our shops will always be important and this refurbishment forms part of our broader plans to rebalance our estate, which includes investing in our flagship stores.

“Peter Jones is widely seen as the birthplace of the John Lewis Partnership when it opened in 1935 and has served the community as the corner shop for Chelsea locals since the day it opened. We want to reinvigorate the shop as a public asset, loved by those who live next to it.”

Chris Harris, Director of Property and Procurement at the John Lewis Partnership, added: “We’re taking a heritage-first approach to the renovation of Peter Jones with the aim of bringing to life John Spedan Lewis’s lost visions for his first shop in the John Lewis estate.

“Our ambition is to not just maintain the status quo but to place value on the importance of this building as a Partnership, heritage and public asset. Within the context of current challenges in retail, we will rejuvenate the exterior of the department store and find future opportunities for new experiences for our customers so that it flourishes for years to come”.

Earlier this month, John Lewis announced the launch a new cheaper range of products amid concerns that the department store giant is not widely seen as “good value for money”.