Designed by 3XN, in partnership with GXN, 2 Finsbury Avenue is a 12 story podium with a 35-story East Tower and 20-story West Tower. Located at Broadgate campus, the largest pedestrianized neighborhood in Central London, adjacent to the busy transport hub of Liverpool Street station, the firm’s first project in the city is part of a bigger vision to transform the area into a new mixed-use destination.
Generating around 4.9 million sq ft of redefined workplaces, retail, and restaurants, in order to bring people together to work, shop, drink and dine, the overall global vision for Broadgate aims to establish new interventions and redefine spaces. Fitting into this scheme, 3XN has imagined 2 Finsbury Avenue, a new development inspired by the campus itself. In fact, Audun Opdal, 3XN Senior Partner in charge of the London project states that “the Broadgate campus offers a fantastic range of amenities, outstanding public spaces, as well as workspaces, retail and restaurants and we, wanted to introduce these qualities to the building”.
We are extremely happy and grateful to have been chosen to design 2 Finsbury Avenue at Broadgate in London. Together with British Land, a project was developed demonstrating that architectural as well as development ambitions can come together in a forward-thinking office building. -- Kim Herforth Nielsen, 3XN Founder, and Creative Director.
The proposal puts in place a series of interconnected volumes, linked by social spaces, amenities, green spaces, etc. Taking on triangular patterns, that bring the structure together while highlighting the spaces in between, the volumes’ aesthetic and geometry creates a self-shading matrix, minimizes the need for air conditioning, and allows daylight to flood the glass structure. In order to ensure different levels of transparency, different finishes are introduced.
Designed in collaboration with behavioral scientists from GXN, the building will “ensure flexibility for current and future needs”. In fact, offices are interspersed with healthy, green areas and terraces to inspire creative collaboration and social interaction. Connecting to the existing neighborhood, a public route under the building will extend Finsbury Avenue to create a new route from Eldon Street to Sun Street via Finsbury Avenue Square. A new learning hub fronting on to Sun Street and Wilson Street will enhance public access to the building.
We have worked closely with British Land to conceive an elegant and accessible building that puts people first. The design combines individual workplaces with a variety of internal and external amenity spaces that foster well-being and social interaction and inspires people to engage with each other and work creatively. -- Audun Opdal, 3XN Senior Partner in charge of the London project.
A series of forward-thinking environmental initiatives will be incorporated, in order to target Net Zero Carbon in construction and operation as well as a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification. In line with British Land’s sustainability strategy, “reductions in embodied carbon are sought through structural optimization of the towers, circular economy strategies, and low carbon materials. Passive design strategies are further employed to minimize heating and cooling demand while maximizing the value of select low-carbon and on-site renewable technologies”.
- Lead Architect: 3XN
- MEPH & Structural Engineer: Ramboll
- Executive Architect: Adamson Associates
- Vertical Transportation: SWECO
- Innovation Consultant: GXN
- Sustainability Consultant: Atelier Ten
- Planning Consultant: DP9
- Cost Consultant: Core Five
- Project Manager: Gardiner & Theobald
- Framework Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine
