100 New Bridge Street plans would add extra storey, roof terraces and new facade
Gensler has lodged proposals to rework an early 1990s office building in the City of London, adding an extra storey and almost 3,800 sq m of office space in the process.
The US architect鈥檚 plans for workplace developer Helical would add a tenth floor to 100 New Bridge Street, between City Thameslink and Blackfriars railway stations and was designed by RHWL and completed in 1992, and replace the fa莽ades of three of the nine-storey building鈥檚 elevations.
Documents supporting the application suggest the plans would see 85% of the existing building鈥檚 structure retained and demonstrate an 鈥渆xemplary standard鈥� in refurbishment.
The project team said it was targeting a BREEAM 鈥渙utstanding鈥� rating for the project, which will deliver just over 23,000 sq m of office space and 3,500 sq m of retail space.
Others working on the scheme include project manager Avison Young, QS Arcadis, structures consultant Waterman and M&E engineer Long and Partners.
Gensler鈥檚 design involves infilling the existing building鈥檚 atrium, but it would deliver landscaped roof terraces at the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth-floor levels.
An accompanying statement from planning consultancy DP9 said the glazing and weathered spandrel panels of 100 New Bridge Street鈥檚 north, south and western facades gave the building a 鈥渄ated and tired鈥� appearance.
However the structure鈥檚 light-brick eastern fa莽ade, which also includes an installation of tiles by the artist Rupert Spira, would be retained.
The planning statement acknowledged that elements of Gensler鈥檚 proposals would breach maximum height parameters for buildings close to St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral, so-called 鈥済rid heights鈥�.
It said the existing building, which is constructed above the Thameslink railway line, was already responsible for 鈥渁 number of breaches of the grid squares鈥�, principally relating to the southernmost fa莽ade of its upper levels.
鈥淎s part of the proposed development a number of the worst performing breaches are proposed to be removed,鈥� the statement said.
Helical acquired the property in March. The office element of the building is currently occupied by law firm Baker McKenzie, but its lease is due to expire in December next year.
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