Bloomberg’s New European Headquarters by Foster + Partners
Channel: A As Architecture
Date: 2018-08-03

Located between the Bank of England and St Paul’s Cathedral, the building responds to its historic context. It is a true exemplar of sustainable development, with a BREEAM Outstanding rating – the highest design-stage score ever achieved by any major office development. Occupying a full city block, the 3.2-acre site comprises two buildings united by bridges that span over a pedestrian arcade that reinstates Watling Street, an ancient Roman road that ran through the site. Bloomberg Arcade is now a key route for people moving around the City, with restaurants and cafes at ground level, set back behind an undulating façade under a covered colonnade. 

Three public plazas, located at each end of the arcade and in front of the building’s entrance, provide new civic spaces in the heart of the Square Mile. Its striking façade is defined by a structural sandstone frame in response to the adjacent Magistrate’s Court, with a series of large-scale bronze fins that shade the floor-to-ceiling glazing. The main entrance to Bloomberg is defined by a substantial porte-cochère, where the building forms two sides of a new formal city square. Beneath this square is a new entrance to Bank Underground station, constructed as part of the project, that connects to the Waterloo and City line. 

Arriving at the main entrance, everyone passes through the reception lobby before being drawn into the Vortex – a dramatic double-height space created by three inclined, curving timber shells, whose unique form echoes the dynamism and energy of Bloomberg. These shells twist to form an oculus at their apex, which contains an artwork titled ‘No Future Is Possible Without A Past’ by Olafur Eliasson. Central to Bloomberg’s ethos, the double-height ‘pantry’ on the sixth floor is the heart of the building. Clad in bronze, the ramp is designed and proportioned as a place of meeting and connection, allowing people to hold brief impromptu conversations with colleagues, whilst not impeding the flow of people. Source by Foster + Partners. Info project https://goo.gl/bwJbvv

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