The British Land Company has agreed Heads of Terms with Oxford Properties, the real estate arm of the OMERS Worldwide Group of Companies, to develop the Leadenhall Building on a 50:50 joint venture basis.
The construction of this skyscraper, designed by UK-based architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, was out on hold due to the financial crash. Designed to provide 610,000 square feet of the highest quality office space in the heart of the Square Mile, it will combine impressive public space, retail and leisure facilities with modern, flexible office space.
The building, which will stand opposite to Lloyd’s of London building, is designed to comprise a number of distinct architectural elements that provide clarity to the composition both as a whole and as a legible expression of its constituent parts. These elements include the primary stability structure, the ladder frame, the office floor plates, the northern support core, the external envelope and the public realm.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has conceived the structure to reinforce the geometry defined by the development envelope, which in turn creates the distinctive tapering form, and takes the form of a perimeter braced ‘tube’ that defines the extent of the floor plates. The ladder frame contributes to the vertical emphasis of the building, and encloses the fire-fighting cores that serve the office floors. The frame also visually anchors the building to the ground.
The office floors take the form of simple rectangular floor plates which progressively diminish in depth by 750mm towards the apex. Office floors are connected to the structural ‘tube’ at every floor level without the need for secondary vertical columns at the perimeter. The highly transparent glazed enclosure makes manifest the structure and movement systems within.
The building is designed to express all the constituent elements behind a single glazed envelope. Facades to the office areas require the highest comfort criteria in relation to heat loss, daylight, glare control and solar gain. The facade is supplemented with an internal layer of double-glazing, forming a cavity which incorporates the structural frame.
The four-storey landscaped, semi-enclosed, cathedral-like public space at the base of the building, covering nearly half an acre, will be on a scale unprecedented in London.
Overlooking the space are generous terrace areas within a bar and restaurant that provide animation and views into the public space and beyond. This enclosure is open at ground level to give access from all directions. The public space is fully accessible by means of a large, gently raked surface connecting St Helen’s Square with Leadenhall Street.
Leadenhall Building has been nicknamed the ‘cheese-grater’ by City of London Planning Officer Peter Rees. The tower is considered to be the latest in a series of projects designed to inspire the renewal of London. Other projects include the Shard, Heron Tower and the ‘Walkie Talkie’ Tower. Many of these projects were put on hold following the global economic crisis.
