Adjaye Associates, alongside development manager Alchemi Group, have submitted a planning application for 5 Strand, a mixed-use scheme adjacent to London's iconic Trafalgar Square. Inspired and informed by the surrounding historic buildings, the new 5 Strand will include 62,000 square feet (5,760 square meters) of office space, 26 apartments, and two ground-level retail units.
The design's most striking element is the repeated arches which make up the facade. This feature "draws from the architectural rhythms and forms of the context," states David Adjaye in a press release, "to produce something both modern and contextual, elegant and distinctive.” The arches can be seen on all facades of the building, and on the undercroft which provides a separate entrance to the apartments from Craven Street. However on the front facade, which responds to the more "ceremonial" buildings on the Strand and Trafalgar Square, the arches are joined by columns to give the facade increased depth and complexity.
Given the project's sensitive location within the Trafalgar Square Conservation Area, the design development extended over 12 months, with Adjaye Associates consulting with Westminster City Council, Greater London, WCC Highways Department, St James’s Ward, Historic England, Westminster Society, The Grand Buildings, and Northbank BID.
"The opportunity to work on the Strand, adjacent to the iconic Traflagar Square, is an immense honour and one that I do not take lightly," said David Adjaye. "My team and I have undergone rigorous investigation into the history and development of this crucial piece of London’s urban fabric."
News via Adjaye Associates.
Architects
Location
5 Strand, London WC2N 5HR, United KingdomPlanning Consultant
Gerald EveMechanical Engineer
Hurley Palmer FlattStructural Engineer
MNPArea
14723.0 m2Project Year
2016Photographs
Courtesy of Adjaye AssociatesArchitects
