_DSC5449
Leadenhall Building - The Cheesegrater - London UK - Architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners - 2010-2014
The Leadenhall building, with a height of 224 metres, is the tallest office block in the City of London. It is best known for its tapered profile that pulls back to respect views of St Paul's Cathedral, and which also earned it its nickname. The Leadenhall was designed by Richard Rogers' firm for a site beside the architect's celebrated Lloyds Building and, like that structure, the tower expresses its entire framework on the exterior. The building's visible framework is made up of a series of constituent parts. Instead of a structural core, a full-perimeter structure, known as a braced tube, defines the edges of each office floor plate to give the facade its most visible element. These elements break the building down into seven-storey modules. Other distinguishable features include the ladder frames that enclose the fire-fighting cores and a circulation tower that runs up the northern side of the building. The triple-glazed facades make use of 70,000 square metres of glass. Blinds were installed in the cavity between the two inner layers of glazing, and these adjust automatically to protect the interiors from glare and overheating. Every floor inside the building is rectangular, getting gradually smaller towards the top. This allows for flexible internal layouts. The base of the tower features a seven-storey-high public space filled with shops and restaurants. It will feature a pocket park on one side, a public exhibition area and a thoroughfare running north to south. The ground level public space, which includes escalators offering direct access into the building itself, is one of the largest reception areas the City has ever seen. At once generous and welcoming, it offers a seamless transition from the street into the building, and makes a positive contribution to the life of the City; creating a major new hub and meeting place for people living and working in the Square Mile.
_DSC5449
Leadenhall Building - The Cheesegrater - London UK - Architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners - 2010-2014
The Leadenhall building, with a height of 224 metres, is the tallest office block in the City of London. It is best known for its tapered profile that pulls back to respect views of St Paul's Cathedral, and which also earned it its nickname. The Leadenhall was designed by Richard Rogers' firm for a site beside the architect's celebrated Lloyds Building and, like that structure, the tower expresses its entire framework on the exterior. The building's visible framework is made up of a series of constituent parts. Instead of a structural core, a full-perimeter structure, known as a braced tube, defines the edges of each office floor plate to give the facade its most visible element. These elements break the building down into seven-storey modules. Other distinguishable features include the ladder frames that enclose the fire-fighting cores and a circulation tower that runs up the northern side of the building. The triple-glazed facades make use of 70,000 square metres of glass. Blinds were installed in the cavity between the two inner layers of glazing, and these adjust automatically to protect the interiors from glare and overheating. Every floor inside the building is rectangular, getting gradually smaller towards the top. This allows for flexible internal layouts. The base of the tower features a seven-storey-high public space filled with shops and restaurants. It will feature a pocket park on one side, a public exhibition area and a thoroughfare running north to south. The ground level public space, which includes escalators offering direct access into the building itself, is one of the largest reception areas the City has ever seen. At once generous and welcoming, it offers a seamless transition from the street into the building, and makes a positive contribution to the life of the City; creating a major new hub and meeting place for people living and working in the Square Mile.