Project: City of London Information Centre
Designed by Make Architects
Collaborators: Arup, Davis Langdon
Client: City of London
Project Area: 135 sqm
Location: London, United Kingdom
Website: www.makearchitects.com
Make Architects design the convenient City of London Information Centre in collaboration with Arup and Davis Langdon. View more of the design after the jump:
From the Architects:
Situated opposite the South Transept of St. Paul's Cathedral, the new City of London Information Centre introduces a dynamic contemporary structure to an area of exceptional architectural and urban heritage.
In form, the building combines simplicity and efficiency of structure with a distinctive visual impact. The triangular plan has evolved from analysis of principal pedestrian flows across the site, while the orientation and profile establish an intriguing dialogue with St Paul's as the building looks up to its prestigious neighbour and opens out to welcome people approaching it. A folded metallic envelope evokes the lightness and aerodynamic profile of a paper aeroplane, seamlessly wrapping 140m² of internal accommodation and formed by a steel frame braced with structural ply and clad in 220 pre-finished stainless steel panels.
The building meets exacting environmental standards and has been engineered to exceed current Part L targets for CO2 emissions by 20 per cent. The structure's envelope is highly insulated, the interior environment is regulated using borehole cooling and the sloping roof facilitates the collection of rainwater which is used to flush toilets and irrigate planting nearby.
