Bishopsgate London : New Development

New apartments carved out of old office blocks have tranquil oasis at heart 9 Sep 2008 Starting on site this month is the transformation of two (1930's and 70's) back-to-back low-rise office buildings on a busy London thoroughfare into tranquil residential accommodation overlooking a secluded courtyard. By remodelling the existing lightwell between the two office buildings to form an entrance courtyard, and by adding a playful transparent 'veil' of vertical timber fins to the highly articulated new courtyard elevation, architects ORMS have created a dynamic, light and elegant apartment development which is more Sydney than London. By retaining and extending the street-facing facades of the original office buildings the architect has created a residential building which enhances the existing streetscape of the Bishopsgate Conservation area, and which does not reveal its open, contemporary face until visitors are within the courtyard. The project, for Halcyon Property, includes the refurbishment of a total of 25,000 sq ft of office accommodation to provide 26 Apartments, (a mixture of studio, 1 and 2 bed units) and retail and restaurant space at ground and basement levels. The majority of the apartments are designed as dual aspect to maximise the amount of daylight into each unit, incorporate prefabricated kitchen pods and have a high performing thermal envelope. John McRae, the ORMS Director responsible for the project said that the apartments offer a rare combination of central location, contemporary design and tranquillity. "Continuing our creative reuse of existing buildings we are transforming the two buildings for the next 100 years. In the centre of the development we have recreated the notion of a medieval London courtyard which provides a moment of relaxation to read a book, meet your next door neighbour and create a feeling of community. We hope that other designers will take a lead from this project as we believe there are lots of unexplored opportunities to create informal community spaces within the urban context." Bishopsgate Project London - info from Stratton & Reekie 090908 Bishopsgate Project - Professional Team Client Halcyon Property Architect ORMS Structural engineer MBP Partnership Quantity Surveyor Gardiner & Theobald M&E Engineer Vector Design Address: 120 Middlesex Street Bishopsgate buildings, City of London