Following the success of Phase 01, which established the building’s dual-aspect personality, reserved business-like entrance at street level, and bold, gritty basement cycle hub, Phase 02 focused on unifying these contrasting experiences into a coherent, intuitive journey.

This next phase extended the distinctive brand graphics and wayfinding from the basement through to the rear courtyard car park and back up into the building’s core. A smaller, targeted fund enabled a series of carefully considered interventions, designed to complete the arrival sequence from street to cycle hub and everything in between.

Key to this phase was the refurbishment of the core circulation routes, where existing staircases were reimagined with bold portal graphics, wayfinding chevrons, and an electrifying repeat-pattern wallpaper that echoed the building’s rebellious basement identity. The stair journey became a deliberate transition between personalities: a dynamic, visual thread that links the polished ground floor arrival to the raw, expressive spaces below.

The underutilised car park courtyard, once a grey and overlooked service area, was reinvigorated with strong visual identity and enhanced wayfinding, ensuring a clearer connection from street to basement. Chevron floor graphics, lighting upgrades, and a cohesive material palette turned this once incidental space into an integral part of the building’s arrival experience.

The result is a fully connected sequence that celebrates both sides of ONE Portland Street’s identity; business-like and professional at street level, with a bold Madchester spirit revealed as you descend into the basement cycle hub. This is a place where the journey itself becomes part of the brand experience; every arrival, whether on foot, by bike, or by car, feels purposeful and considered. Surprise and intrigue are embedded into the design, turning movement through the space into an engaging act of exploration.