Carmine building - Paddington Basin Building, London, UK
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MAYOR OF LONDON TOPS OUT LANDMARK
LONDON BUILDING IN PADDINGTON BASIN
London: May 27, 2009: The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has performed the traditional topping out ceremony at the landmark Carmine building in the Paddington Basin development.
The ceremony marks a major milestone in the development of Paddington Basin, a key development in the West of London. The Carmine building in Merchant Square, designed by Mossessian & Partners is being developed by European Land; the building continues to go according to schedule and will be completed in 2010. Marks & Spencer will be among the first tenants, having already taken approximately 170,000 square feet.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "I am extremely encouraged to see that, despite the current downturn, London is bucking the trend and investors are continuing to show confidence in the capital. Major developments like European Land's Merchant Square are vital, not just for the regeneration of Paddington. They will also ensure that London emerges from the recession with a modern infrastructure that will act as a catalyst for further investment and economic growth once the upturn comes."
European Land, the leading development company in the regeneration of Paddington, is proud to have reached this stage in the construction of the 1.8 million sq ft development. The Carmine Building is a15-storey office building combining sculpted triangular volumes and a dynamic façade, with spectacular views towards Hyde Park and the City.
European Land Managing Director, Richard Banks, said: "This is a great day for us, and for the whole of the Paddington Basin development, and we are delighted the Mayor has been able to share in this celebration. One of the exciting things about this development is that we are in the process of turning a rundown industrial area in the heart of London into a vibrant and modern space, within walking distance of the West End and just a stones throw from Paddington station. It is already becoming a key destination for residents and businesses alike who want a convenient and calming base close to both the heart of London and the rest of the world."
Tony Douglas, Chief Operating Officer for Laing O'Rourke said, "We are very proud to be the principal constructor for this prestigious scheme and it gives me great pleasure to be here today to celebrate the achievement of this important milestone."
Merchant Square, when completed, will create six new buildings in total, including a mix of residential, office and retail uses, regenerating land previously occupied by warehousing and other light industrial uses. The scheme incorporates 555 residential units, with 30 per cent as affordable housing. Its location, next to a major transport hub, will encourage the use of public transport.
Through Merchant Square, European Land has provided continued commitment for the local community, through support for local education, improvements to local streets and public transport, the incorporation of public facilities at the site including new public routes, the Public Square, and moorings at the Basin. Since 1999, the completion of major building and infrastructure works has transformed Paddington. This has included the opening of tow paths along the canal, new canal bridges that link communities and significant new areas of public space. The opening of the new Bishops Bridge has dramatically reduced congestion and improved vehicle access to Paddington Station.
European Land estimates that 30,000 jobs will be created a result of the developments at Paddington Waterside. To date, over 4,000 people have been placed into work and gained tremendous success with Marks & Spencer, St Mary's Hospital and the Hilton Hotels.
London Buildings
Carmine building at Merchant Square:
photo © Nick Weall
Paddington buildings: various architects incl. Richard Rogers
European Land
European Land & Property Limited is a development company owned jointly by European Land Holdings Limited and Aldersgate.
Laing O'Rourke
Laing O'Rourke plc is the largest privately owned construction firm in the UK with offices in the UK, Germany, India, Australia and United Arab Emirates and over 31,000 employees worldwide.
Led by Chairman and Chief Executive, Ray O'Rourke, the business has grown rapidly since the acquisition of Laing by R.O'Rourke & Son Ltd in 2001.
Laing O'Rourke has an integrated capability, and takes a holistic view of construction. They specialise in delivering ambitious and innovative construction projects that deliver to both clients and the communities who use them every day.
Paddington First
Paddington First was set up in 1998 by Paddington Waterside Partnership, a parent organisation which was established to co-ordinate the many development schemes at Paddington.
Public Area
The new public realm will see the continuation of European Land's regeneration of unused industrial land with landscaping and public art of the highest quality along the north side of Paddington Basin.
The primary open space is incorporated into the masterplan is 5,339 sqm (57,469 sq ft), an increase of 728 sqm (7,836 sq ft) over the consented schemes for the same site. This includes a major new canal side square that will accommodate a year round calendar of events together with a more private garden area aimed primarily at the residents. The public realm strategy has been directed at opening up the site via clear routes from areas beyond its boundary. In addition to residents and workers, visitors will be encouraged in to the square to enjoy the amenity of the canal, an environment closed off to the public prior to European Land's regeneration of the area.
The Buildings
Carmine: Commercial office with ground floor retail and a health club at ground and basement level. Above ground area approx. 355,000 sq ft. 28 car parking spaces.
Six buildings - three office and three residential
The Blade: Residential with ground floor retail. Above ground area approx. 245,000 sq ft, 221 units and 152 car parking spaces.
Azure: Commercial office with ground floor retail and mixed use space. Above ground area approx. 225,000 sq ft. 15 car parking spaces.
Topaz: Commercial office with ground floor retail and child day care facility. Above ground area approx. 256,000 sq ft. 16 car parking spaces.
West End Reach: Residential with ground floor retail and a health club at ground and basement level. Above ground area approx. 220,000 sq ft. 196 units. 135 car parking spaces.
Waterweave: Residential with ground floor retail and child day care facility. Above ground area approx. 160,000 sq ft. 146 units. 97 car parking spaces.
Total office space - approx 620,000 sq ft
Total residential units - 555
Total retail and leisure - 58,000 sq ft
Masterplanning Architect - Kalyvides Partnership
Architect Carmine and Waterweave - Mossessian & Partners
Architect of Record - Perkins+Will
Landscape Architect - Edco Design London
Environmental and Sustainability Consultant - Environ
Transport Consultant - Arup
Previously:
Work starts on Building E, Paddington Basin
London, 25 Sep 2007
Ground preparatory work on mossessian & partners’ scheme for Merchant Square at Paddington Basin has begun. This major scheme by Michel Mossessian, former Design Lead at SOM London and his first since starting his own practice, forms the commercial element of phase one of European Land’s development plans for the site and is due to complete in November 2009.
Design principal Michel Mossessian said; “We are delighted that our first major scheme in London forms part of the prestigious Merchant Square development. This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing regeneration at Paddington Basin and in the development of our practice.”
Building E, Merchant Square is a slender, elegant and sculptural building comprising 260,000 sq ft of office space, with public lobby areas, retail on the ground floor and a health club in the basement. mossessian & partners led the design with Perkins + Will as executive architects.
Composed of three contrasting triangular elements, its dynamic form presents an animated façade on all sides, enlivening the canal frontage, addressing the existing office buildings to the west. The building envelope features varied textures and patterns, including bold use of colour, to emphasise lightness and improve energy efficiency.
mossessian & partners have also designed an adjacent building at Merchant Square - a residential scheme of 226,000 sq ft which also has planning approval. The Merchant Square development comprises six architecturally diverse buildings in total, accommodating a mix of retail, restaurant, leisure, commercial and residential functions spread over a total area of 1.8 million sq ft. The scheme includes 559 residential units, 30% of which will be social housing. The buildings are set within a high quality public realm with a major new canal side square as its focal point.
The development has been named Merchant Square to reflect the area’s past as a key point of trade and to celebrate its proposed regeneration into a contemporary and thriving new community.
Current work at mossessian & partners includes a 350,000 m2 mixed-use development in Lisbon, a 78-unit high-end residential building in central London and a residential conversion of a 200,000 sq ft office building. The practice has also been short-listed for a major new scheme in Glasgow and the design of a new, high-profile international school in France.
mossessian & partners is an international studio for architecture, planning, technology and design, established in 2005. Following twenty years’ design experience on major projects in Chicago, New York, Paris, and London, founder Michel Mossessian chose to establish his practice in London to focus on the demands of complex, high density urban spaces. His wealth of experience at the highest international level includes leading the design team that won the competition for the new NATO headquarters in Brussels as well as the team that won the international competition for the ecologically advanced ParcBIT masterplan in Majorca.
The practice’s design approach and the emphasis on rigorous methodologies is the result of Mossessian’s close working relationship with Bruce Graham at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago, his time leading the multifunctional practice A4A and as lead designer at SOM’s London office. Michel has been involved in the development of numerous award-winning projects including Exchange House, London and Villa Olympica, Barcelona.
mossessian & partners’ architecture is predicated upon a powerful conceptual approach, manifesting itself in flowing geometries and complex counterpoint. The practice’s design ethos and response to the client brief always reflect the complexity and richness of site and context. Michel and his multicultural team have a deep understanding of technology, urbanity and sustainability and have established strong collaborative relationships with executive architects to ensure delivery of large-scale projects.
Merchant Square architects - mossessian & partners
World Architects
Merchant Square Paddington info from mossessian & partners via ING Media 250907
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Buildings / photos for the Merchant Square Photos page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk
Merchant Square London - page: adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
Buildings in the area:
Barbican Centre
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Darwin Centre
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Emirates Stadium
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London Olympic Stadium
Natural History Museum
One Hyde Park
St Paul's Cathedral
Swiss Re
Tate Modern
Waterloo Station
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