EPR was asked to amalgamate two sites on the fringes of the City to provide high quality City-standard office space. One site had a long slightly curving frontage on to Shoe Lane while the site to the rear, used partly as an open service yard, was larger, irregular in shape with a substantial level change. Typical of this area's network of ancient courts and passageways, two historic pedestrian walkways criss-crossed the site, which had to be respected. The challenge was to maximise the resulting deep site while adding to the tradition of intimate public spaces that make up the City's rich townscape.

EPR created a form for the building of two self-contained wings linked by a pivotal atrium and lift core arranged around a new landscaped open courtyard. This flexible design approach brought added value to the rear of the site while the courtyard established a focal point for the development overlooked by both office wings and the glazed entrance hall. The re-routed walkways across the site have been enhanced by the display of public art with a large glass installation suspended in Robin Hood Court and a specially commissioned sculpture by Charles Hadcock in the new central courtyard. Outdoor seating areas for a café and bar are arranged around this sculpture enjoyed by tenants and the public alike.

The concrete structure of the 9-storey building has been designed with the columns on the outside overclad with limestone. This provides a richness and depth to the street elevation while eliminating internal perimeter columns and maximising office floor area. At ground level these outboard columns splay inward to align with the site boundary and add to the lively nature of the building at pedestrian level. At roof level, the columns extend to curve over a set-back office area to create a distinctive zinc-clad roof form that can be most fully appreciated when viewed from the nearby Holborn Viaduct.

Client: Client: Scottish Widows