Amongst the rapid materializing of telecoms, media and tech companies within the Blackfriar’s Southbank region, PLP Architecture has been chosen for the design of a new office building with the challenge of successfully integrating into the ever-changing local fabric.
“Our proposal speculates on the nature of the contemporary office tower,” explained the firm. “What is the architectural expression of today’s high-density workplace? How does the building acquire an identity specific to its media/tech occupiers and how is that identity conveyed to the city?”
During the 1760s, Blackfriars Road was designated as the main thoroughfare to Blackfriars Bridge. Despite its close proximity to the City of London and recent crop of commercial and residential developments, the avenue is known for its well-preserved Georgian character.
Friars Bridge Court is organized through various vertically-stacked programs. A double-height lobby engages public activity at street level, while the lower portion of the building façade is composed of brick, matching the visual identity of surrounding conservation projects. The sandstone grid of the upper volume capitalizes on views on a larger scale.
Additionally, a double-height gallery space acts as a social focal point, with unique spaces that “promote exchange and provoke spontaneous situations”. The transparent nature of the gallery allows insight into the various spaces, and a side core allows for uninterrupted floorplates catering to a number of different work preferences and mannerisms while offering ample views of the historic community.
Architects
Developer
Kennedy Wilson EuropeProject Manager
GVA Second London WallPlanning Consultant
DP9Townscape Consultant
Tavernor ConsultancyStructure, Services, Traffic, & Environmental
WatermanCost Consultanr
AlineaLandscape Designer
GillespiesCommercial Agent
CBREDaylight & Sunlight Consultant
Point 2 SurveyorsAccess Consultant
Access=DesignVertical Transport & Fire Engineer
GrontmijFacade Access & Management
ReefPrincipal Designer
PLP ArchitectureFacade Consultant
BDAWind Tunnel
RWDILegal
AshurstProject Year
2017Photographs
Courtesy of LuxigonArchitects
Vertical Transport
GrontmijFire Engineer
GrontmijCost Consultant
Alinea
News via: PLP Architecture.