THIRD FLOOR PLAN - TYPICAL
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
Directly below the bridge is the vehicular access
to the parking basement, and beyond this is a
bridge over the canal to connect Waterway House
to the rest of the Canal District.
Each building is also fragmented by generous
entrances recessed into their respective façades
along both Dock Road and canal sides, thus
breaking the buildings up into two further
segments. The final articulation is reminiscent
of a train with a series of carriages, reducing its
apparent mass and length.
The parapets of both buildings are crowned by
a steel framed aluminium ‘eyebrow’ that not only
unifies the two buildings tectonically, but also has
a practical function, concealing the anchor system
for rope access window cleaners.
The retail space on the ground floor is set
back from the office floors above, creating a
more hospitable pedestrian environment and
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also contributing to the perception of the office
space floating above the ground. Retail spaces are
contained within continuous full height shopfronts
with a clear height of 4.5m, while slim perimeter
columns are externalised on the Dock Road and
the far end façades.
Entrance atria to North and South buildings are
seemingly identical, with only the reception joinery
and various tile selections differing through tenant
interventions. Each building is serviced by a bank of
three lifts traversing from the parking basement via
securitised lobbies up to all office floors. A further
bank of two shuttle lifts link the parking to the
podium externally.
The Façade
The façade to the office floors is made up of a
crystalline double glazed curtain wall, which adds
to the buildings’ sense of lightness, and animates
with reflected activity, particularly of the water on
the canal frontage. Significantly, it is the product
of an intricate analysis of the east/west orientation
of this building, and the corresponding play of light
during the course of the day.
The integrated façade system deploys two
different approaches – for the short sides facing
north and south, and for long sides facing east and
west. The short sides of the buildings, as well as
the reveals to the entrances, are simply glazed with
Solar E Grey glass to both the continuous vision
panels as well as the horizontal spandrel panels.
This creates a neutral offset to the complexity of
the Dock Road and the canal façade design.
At both far ends of the building terraces are
provided to each floor providing breakaway spaces
for the offices, with spectacular city views to the
south and harbour views to the north.
The balustrades are formed of frame-less glass
panels, fixed onto steel channels which in turn are
Waterway House