Gracechurch Street, EC3
Type office, retail
Size 11,150 sq. m. (120,000 sq. ft.)
Client Société Générale
Status completed
Scheme description
60 Gracechurch Street represented a bold move by our clients who opted to completely redevelop their 1950’s head office in the depth of the early nineties recession. The resulting 11,150 sq. m. (120,000 sq. ft.) of brand new air conditioned office rewarded their faith by achieving one of the best lettings in the City to Commerzbank.
The City of London planners insisted that the building fit in with the largely stone streetscape while the client desired a light, elegant building with maximum glazing. Our response was to design an elevation incorporating textured limestone panels with floating stone fins. The stone is virtually invisible from the interior while providing visual mass when viewed externally from an oblique angle.
The themes of lightness and openness extend to the interior where careful analysis meant that only two cores were necessary, providing the maximum clear floor area wrapped around a full height atrium. The floors are served by four high-speed panoramic glass lifts, designed by the office. These connect to the office floors over slim platforms which project into the atrium.
Photography: Philip Durrant
