1 Appold Street

The complexities of retaining and renewing the existing Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) designed building allowed us to embrace the language of hybrid structures: the intersection of old and new fabrics became a strong narrative element. The informality of revealing the old within the new articulates the project’s core sustainability principles, and is also deeply rooted in the context of the site at the transition point between the City and Shoreditch.

The façade was conceived as a series of horizontal strata, lifted above the ground plane and gently curving to address key views and approaches from Appold St, Exchange Square and Sun Street Passage. Planted balconies along the East façade provide covered outdoor amenity space at upper levels as well as a new green backdrop for Exchange Square. Fluted façade panels introduce texture and depth to the façade, drawing upon the nearby architecture of Liverpool Street Station and the industrial heritage of Shoreditch.

In collaboration with landscape architects at DSDHA, we explored the idea of the Exchange Square soft landscape flowing outward between buildings, creating an accessible meandering connection between Appold St and Exchange Square.

Sustainability and resilience have been central to the design brief from the outset, retaining the maximum amount of the primary structure whilst creating high quality new office and tenant amenity spaces. Extensions to existing floor plates and six new office floors are wrapped in a new energy efficient façade. An embodied carbon target of a conservative 477 kgCO2e/m2 (GIA, A1-A5) will achieve 36% reduction over the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge at RIBA Stage 2, with more potential carbon savings at later stages. The scheme is pursuing a NABERS UK DfP minimum 5.5 star energy rating meaning an opportunity for very low emissions during operational life, and a circular approach to strip-out, design and procurement.