The Wallis Building

The Development

Situated in London's prestigious St. John’s Wood neighbourhood, the Wallis Building is no ordinary warehouse conversion; this striking Art Deco gem has a past as rich as its architecture.

Originally built in the 1920s for the Palmer Tyre Company, the building later played a crucial role in Britain’s wartime efforts, supplying aircraft tyres to the Air Ministry. Despite its evocative nickname, 'Spitfire Works,' no actual Spitfires were assembled here—just the high-performance rubbers that kept them airborne. Still, it’s an impressive legacy.

Designed by renowned architectural firm Wallis, Gilbert & Partners—also responsible for the iconic Hoover Building—the Wallis Building occupies an entire block, bordered by Penfold Street, Frampton Street, Hatton Street, and Boscobel Street. But its real showstopper? The sleek,  elegant, carefully modernised, impossibly pretty Art Deco façade...

The Proposal

In today's digital age, a building without reliable internet is like a car without fuel. And yet, the Wallis Building found itself in the digital dark ages, with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) failing to service the block in a timely manner.

So, SCCI Alphatrack stepped in. Rather than waiting for providers to catch up, they took matters into our own hands—working alongside Alliance, the freeholder’s managing agent, to install a future-proof dark fibre network.

The remit was clear:

✔ Deploy high-speed connectivity without compromising the building’s aesthetic.
✔ Avoid the mess and clutter of multiple operators layering cables over time.
✔ Keep disruption to an absolute minimum.

Enter 4 Fibre and its revolutionary technology. By installing 4 Fibre infrastructure once—properly—SCCI Alphatrack safeguarded the building’s aesthetics, safety, and spatial integrity—while in turn, minimising disruption and maximising efficiency.

And because they held such confidence in the system’s integrity, it was rolled out before locking in a specific ISP (spoiler alert: ISPs were more than happy to hop on board once they saw what was built!)

The Delivery

4 Fibre's approach was straightforward,  running a single distribution point (DP) that wired every apartment back to the BT upturn in the basement. From this central point, up to four ISPs could provide service without the need for additional cabling. Translation? Residents get ultra-fast internet without the usual installation headaches.

4 Fibre handled all the core drilling, containment, and fire stopping and upon completion, spliced and tested the network, providing built sign-offs to the consultant.

Notably, any ISP joining the scheme could be operational the same day they connect their feed to the building—an efficient, streamlined approach that minimises engineering time, disruption, and complexity.

The Grand Finale: A Digital Transformation in Just 4 Weeks

In just one month, SCCI Alphatrack and 4 Fibre turned a connectivity dead zone into a full-fibre powerhouse. Residents now enjoy blazing-fast speeds, and thanks to the partnership with Alliance, the upgrade came at zero cost to the freeholder, managing agent, or homeowners.

The best part? Everything was integrated during the building’s refurbishment, ensuring a neat, future-proof installation that won’t need patchwork fixes down the line. It’s a win for residents, a boost for property value, and a shining example of how modern technology can seamlessly blend with historical architecture.

Together, 4 Fibre and SCCI Alphatrack continue to push the boundaries of smart infrastructure...