The Atlas Building
Hoxton, London
Rocket Investments
The Brief
Design Delivery Unit were appointed to deliver this elegant 38-storey residential tower and 10-storey commercial building on City Road in the heart of London’s Tech City. Providing 302 apartments, leisure and spa facilities, retail and basement parking. Over 35% of the footprint is new public realm with landscaped piazza of shops and cafés; creating a new pedestrian link between City Road and East Road.
Added Value
The building was described to the planners as a series of white and off-white shades of terracotta cladding. The weight of the cladding however proved too much of a challenge when combined with the structural stability of the building. We helped articulate to the planners why terracotta was not viable and what the potential options were. The pros and cons of each were presented along with material samples and a decision to use annodised aluminium was agreed.
Technical Challenges
The Atlas building has a cantilevered structure due to the below ground constraints. This changed the concept structural strategy used at planning and required wholesale layout changes to suit the new structural strategy. We undertook a careful exercise to deconstruct the buildings façade and then redraw it to suit the new layouts. We demonstrated to the planners how the original concept had been safeguarded throughout.
Overview
2019
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