Times Headquarters

This office building near Tower Bridge fills the site to its limits to reinforce the line of the surrounding street patterns and link with the scale and height of the adjacent buildings. The normal storey height is reduced by eliminating the need for ceiling voids to help give a high site density without having to resort to a tower or stand alone building. On the deep irregular shaped site a landscaped central courtyard allows the building to be narrow enough for good natural light and cross ventilation through opening windows.

The projecting triangular windows are etched on one side to direct views towards the street and not the adjacent residential building. The ground floor facades are fully glazed to give an active frontage to the street. The glass undulates on the uphill site to make space for vents from the parking below.

The building was given a BREEAM audit to asses the level of environmental considerations in its design, construction and maintenance and received the best rating of any office building in London.

Press

Times Review
Modern a la Mode
Marcus Binney - 23 Jan 93

Blueprint
Zen at work
Hugh Pearman - Oct 91

Foundation
Special Effects
Claire Melushi - Autumn 91