Watermark Place : Architecture Information + Images

30 Jan 2009 LONDON ‘GREEN’ RIVERSIDE LANDMARK MOVES TOWARDS COMPLETION A significant new urban quarter for the City, designed by Fletcher Priest Architects, has topped out and is on schedule for completion in August 2009. Watermark Place : Mixed-Use Development The scheme for Watermark Place Oxford One Investment Limited, UBS Global Asset Management and City Offices LLP comprises 530,000 sq ft (net) of office and retail space and has been designed to achieve a low carbon footprint. It will also create the largest south facing riverside public space in the City between Westminster and the Tower of London, more than doubling the existing public realm Located on the Thames next to the Grade II listed Cannon Street station, Watermark Place occupies a site with an important maritime heritage. Upper Thames Street to the north, follows the line of the Roman wharf and the current riverside walk is the 18th century river wall, where a brewery and warehouses fronted the working river. The principal route down to the river walk is widened by 50% and pedestrianised. Much of the Watermark Place cladding has been installed by Gartner and takes inspiration from its waterside location. The dappled cladding is generated through a computer fragmentation of water images and realised through a sophisticated dot-matrix glass which adds colour to the outside, shades and thermally protects the interior while allowing views out. Designed as a group of individual volumes, lower buildings define the public space facing the water, with two taller blocks set back providing long views up and down the river. Large south-facing rooftop terraces and gardens are accessible and the upper roof at Watermark Place is sedum planted to support and encourage bio-diversity. The south west riverside building is protected by an oak structure of maritime scale which both defines the public spaces and gives effective solar shading to the building. Recently completed by Littlehampton Welding, it can carry lights, banners and sound systems to enable and encourage street theatre. It links the scale of Cannon Street Bridge to the public space. The south east riverside building is clad in centre pivoted timber louvres behind a glass skin. They rotate and follow the sun, protecting the occupants and animating the public space. Its ground floor is a bar/ restaurant, clearly visible from Angel Lane and along the riverwalk, encouraging use. The retention of over 31% of the existing structure, including most of the foundations, significantly reduced the waste associated with demolition and reduced the Watermark Place construction programme on site. Some 95-98% of the waste generated was recycled, earning the demolition contractor a Gold Sustainable Award from the City. Water recycling, 800m2 of photo voltaic panels and sophisticated control systems contribute to a predicted 20% improvement on the Part L2 requirement for energy conservation, a remarkable achievement for a City centre development.