12 New Fetter Lane completes by Doone Silver Architects and Flanagan Lawrence

12 New Fetter Lane
12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

A new 15-storey office building makes a virtue out of a challenging triangular plot in London’s Midtown. This striking scheme, designed by the collaborative architectural team of Doone Silver Architects and Flanagan Lawrence, occupies a triangular site bounded by Fetter Lane and New Fetter Lane.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

Its innovative, rotating stepped form responds to the low-rise Chancery Lane Conservation Area to the west and the higher-rise commercial developments of New Street Square to the east. The building’s slender vertical ‘hinge’ defines the meeting point of these two streets.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

The scale change between West and East elevations is resolved by a cascade of double storey stepped terraces rotating around the southern vertical hinge – the hinge expressed by a translucent glazed staircase, filtering natural light during the day and glowing as a vertical white beacon at night.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

This feature creates a powerful focal point when approaching the building from Fleet Street, and the building is now a distinct landmark when viewed from the South. The external envelope of the building is composed almost entirely of glass. The core is clad in pale grey opaque glass vertical panels, whilst the principal clear glazing to the offices is expressed as a multi-faceted and reticulated surface.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © Kevin Sainsbury

These diamond-cut facades generate multiple complex reflections, capturing light and constantly changing in both pattern and appearance throughout the day – a highly modelled façade that references the historic diamond dealing district of Hatton Garden immediately to the north.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © Kevin Sainsbury

The prime quality office space within the building benefits from high levels of natural light, excellent external awareness and impressive views across London. The Northern vertical service core mirrors the Southern staircase, containing lifts, WCs, on-floor air handling plant and service risers.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

This core, containing the chillers and the telescopic building maintenance unit, then continues at roof level and is expressed as a single spine around which the whole building is organised. The ground floor of the building is set back, defining the different spaces and uses at street level.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

The first of these is the main entrance lobby that runs most of the length of the New Fetter Lane elevation – a single clear volume viewed through a full height and full width glass wall, consisting of gigantic glazed panels supported by almost invisible glass fins. Retail units add activity to the new urban park on Plough Place. The single basement level contains additional central plant space together with cycle parking, changing rooms with showers and building management accommodation.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

Environmental sustainability has also been a key factor throughout the development of the design. The building achieves a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, offering a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions compared to current building regulations. 12 New Fetter Lane will be occupied by international law firm Bird & Bird, with fit-out completing in Summer 2016. Source by Doone Silver Architects.

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

Location: London, UK
Architects: Doone Silver ArchitectsFlanagan Lawrence
Landscape Architect: Townshend Landscape Architects
Project Manager: Gardiner & Theobald
Main Contractor: Mace
Planning Consultant: DP9
Structural Engineer: WSP Group
M&E Consultant: Hilson Moran Partnership
Quantity Surveyor: Arcadis
Fire & Traffic Engineer: WSP Group
Commissioning Consultant: Dome Group
Planning Supervisor: Gardiner & Theobald
Lighting Consultant: EQ2
Rights to Light Consultant: Delva Patman Associates
Approved Inspector: MLM Building Control
Access Consultant: Access Design Consultants
Client: Pontsarn Investments c/o Great Portland Estates
Owner: TH Real Estate
Tenant: Bird & Bird
Area: 147,000 sq. ft
Form of Contract: JCT 2011 Design & Build
Total Cost: Approx. £47 million (Cat.A)
BREEAM Rating: Excellent 2011
Year: 2016
Photographs: James Brittain, Kevin Sainsbury, Courtesy of Doone Silver Architects

12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain
12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain
12 New Fetter Lane
Photo © James Brittain

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