ArchShowcase Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Finsbury Circus by Fletcher PriestAugust 16th, 2015 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Fletcher Priest Reconstructing this 1980s building resolves the relationship with Finsbury Circus to the south and Eldon Street to the north, which became critical when Broadgate turned Eldon Street from a minor backwater into a busy pedestrian route.
We realised that both sides had their own value, the circus as the City’s largest garden lined with grand Edwardian facades, while the street offered enormous footfall and easy access for commuters. Making a visual connection between the two sides for the first time, we lowered the entrance floor to the north so it is now level with that on the south. We also found ways to increase and improve space within the permitted envelope, adding a floor, infilling a small atrium and compensating for the loss of light with new windows and higher quality glass. Using traditional materials in modern ways, the new facades now reflect the character of the space they face: small windows on regular grid to the circus with similar proportions to the Edwardian neighbours and concealed terraces behind, while the northern side is more playful, with larger windows which become sculptural at the roof level and are interspersed with terraces. As at Carmelite Riverside, this project shows how understanding the character of a site can unlock ways to add value and improve quality of the workplace. Contact Fletcher Priest
Category: Commercial Building |