The new building was designed to maximise the letting area and
also to attract potential buyers. As a result, JRA managed to increase
the lettable space by 65% from the original building despite the
new structure having fewer floors. Meanwhile, the vast landscaped
roof garden crowning the building offers unobstructed views to the
City of London, Canary Wharf and the River Thames.
A SUSTAINABLE PLAN
In 2013, Topland sold the site to international property developer
HB Reavis, who in turn appointed JRA to develop a detailed user-
focused design for the site and deliver the new building.
Sustainability was very important for HB Reavis and after reviewing
the plans the developer asked JRA to increase the area of the roof
garden. Photovoltaic arrays which were to be installed on the roof
were reduced in size, allowing JRA to increase the landscaped roof
area by 30% to provide planting space for 9,000 plants from more
than 55 native species.
2* listed Fishmonger’s Hall, which sits in front of it, and the Art Deco
Adelaide House opposite.
Planners were keen for the architects to use traditional materials.
Rather than smaller handmade tiles, JRA chose a bespoke large-
scale terracotta faience for the exterior. The colours mirror and
complement those of the surrounding buildings.
Agnieszka Szedzianis, associate at JRA, takes up the story: “It was
important to think about creating a timeless design, as the whole
design, planning and build process can take many years and we
needed the building to still be viewed as modern and contemporary
when it was completed. Back in 2011, it was very innovative to
push for a roof garden. There was no example of that in the City of
London, and the planners were very impressed.”
A MODERN DESIGN IN A CONSERVATION AREA
One of the key challenges was to create a modern building that
worked contextually with the historically significant buildings that
surround it.
33 Central is situated on a prominent site in the City of London
at the northern approach to London Bridge. From the outset the
building was conceived as a complementary backdrop to the Grade ONE OF THE KEY CHALLENGES WAS TO
CREATE A MODERN BUILDING THAT WORKED
CONTEXTUALLY WITH THE HISTORICALLY
SIGNIFICANT BUILDINGS THAT SURROUND IT.
To accommodate the roof garden, most of the building’s heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning equipment and plant was relocated
from the roof into the basement. A gigantic 12 storey watertight air
shaft runs through the middle of the building into the basement to
provide air intake. Internally the building is planned around a central core that echoes
the shape of the site. The wide, clear floor plates are suitable for
a variety of different occupiers making the building flexible, as
well as maximising the internal floor area. A deep 18-metre wide
area is ideal for trading floors, 15-metre deep areas are designed
for meeting rooms and breakout spaces, and 12-metre spaces are
perfect for individual offices. JRA also minimised the number of
columns to maximise flexibility during internal fit out.