The grain and scale expressed along the facades continue to
form the soffits and the roof plant enclosures and guardrails. In
this way, the rhythm of the buildings’ facades is extended like
‘ribbons’ up, along, over and down the extent of the building’s
mass. On 2 London Wall Place they flow into the building to form
the ribs of the reception ceiling, while on 1 London Wall Place
they form the cantilevered soffit – some of the largest cantilevers
in London – and their surfaces bounce light and reflections onto
the walkways and landscaping below.
The ‘Highwalk’ system, a reminder of the previous 1960s site, was
a requirement of the planning consent. The walkway network now
has a material palette of weathering steel and Iroko timber as a
backdrop to the ever-changing gardens and green walls which
seamlessly link the various levels. Thousands of plants, including
strawberries, lavender and ivy, are distributed to suit various
microclimates within the site, from the sun-blessed Salters’
‘cascade’ to the sheltered water garden and ‘amphitheatre’ around
the St Alphage remains. These spaces will provide welcome
respite for the 5,000 occupants of the new office buildings, retail
customers, Barbican residents and future Crossrail commuters.
THE MATERIALS – GRC AND CERAMIC
– ARE DESIGNED TO NEVER NEED
REPLACING AND THE WEATHERING STEEL
WAS CHOSEN FOR THE BRIDGES SO THAT
MINIMAL MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED.
The building is BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and designed flexibly to
accommodate numerous tenancies throughout its lifespan, while
the intent for the public realm is that it endures – as the Roman
wall and St Alphage Church tower have – for as long as possible,
as part of the historical urban fabric. There is a passive approach
to energy in use, with a 50/50 solid-to-glazed ratio in the building
facades, which are all heavily insulated, and with deep soffit areas
to reduce solar gain. The air handling is mixed mode to allow both
buildings to be naturally ventilated if desired.
The materials – GRC and ceramic – are designed to never need
replacing and the weathering steel was chosen for the bridges so
that minimal maintenance is required.
DATA SHEET
Value: confidential
Site size: 2 acres / 75,000m 2
Net size: 46,450m 2
Client: Brookfield Properties and Oxford Properties
Key consultants: Structural Engineer (also Façade Engineer,
Highways Engineer, Security Consultant, Acoustic Engineering):
WSP
MEP Engineers (also Sustainability Consultants, Fire Engineering):
HPF
Landscape Architects: SpaceHub
Specialist lighting: Studio Fractal
Contractor: Multiplex
Project Management and cost consultant: Gardiner and Theobold
ABOUT MAKE
Make is a different kind of architecture practice. Founded by Ken
Shuttleworth in 2004, we’re an employee-owned firm pursuing a
democratic design process. Today we have more than 150 people
in London, Hong Kong and Sydney providing architecture, interior
and urban design services from concept to completion. Since
opening our doors, we’ve worked on more than 1,600 projects
worldwide covering a wide range of sectors. We’ve delivered
79 built schemes from studios across 3 continents, including 50
buildings, 19 interiors and refurbishments, and 10 smaller design
projects. We’ve also achieved more than 110 planning consents
and realised over a dozen masterplans.
www.makearchitects.com/projects/london-wall-place/