Grand Union Building 2

Grand Union Building 2
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Place/Date
London, England 2001
Client
Paddington Development Corporation Ltd/
Chelsfield plc
Cost
£218 million
Area
117,100 m²
Architect
Richard Rogers Partnership
Structural Engineer
Pell Frischmann
Services Engineer
Cundall Johnston
Quantity Surveyor
Davis Langdon & Everest
Project Manager
Mace
The scheme’s systematic
composition creates a
considered transition of
scale, animated by vertical
circulation and public space.
This revised scheme for the Grand Union
Building offers a high quality mixed-use
development including office, residential and
retail space, together with a major public
space adjacent to the canal. Benefiting
from Paddington Basin’s excellent public
transport connections, the Grand Union
Building forms a major new gateway to
London’s West End.
The design reflects the detailed site analysis
prepared for the earlier proposal. The new
skyline offsets the larger floor-plates at lower
levels with light transparent vertical elements
such as stairs, lifts and risers. These core
elements create focus, drama and legibility,
as well as a clear sense of hierarchy.
Careful attention has also been paid to the
roofscapes: all terraces are landscaped and
mechanical and electrical equipment has
been located either in the basements or onfloor,
so that planted terraces at every roof
level provide a series of elevated gardens.
The floorplates are conceived as two sets
of three rectilinear plates – either medium
size in separate buildings or linked via
an atrium to create a larger floorplate,
allowing the possibility of one large single
tenancy or up to six separate tenancies. In
addition, the building can be split vertically
to accommodate any combination of
configurations without compromising
essential servicing.
A climate moderating triple glazed wall
system with mechanically operated blinds
in the ventilated cavity offer protection from
solar heat gain and glare. The facade is
designed to work in conjunction with low
energy cooling systems such as chilled
ceilings and beams, a system consistent
with other buildings being constructed
at Paddington Basin. Unrestricted public
access throughout the site and to the
waterside is a key feature of the design, with
pedestrian routes linking all residential and
commercial buildings. Shops, restaurants
and leisure facilities offer a new range of
amenities to the existing community.
Grand Union Building 2