5 Strand backed by George Osborne investment firm
Adjaye Associates has won planning for 5 Strand, a block of offices and flats at the south-eastern edge of Trafalgar Square.
The 158,000sq ft scheme, for investor BlackRock 鈥� the investment management giant paying former chancellor George Osborne 拢650,000 a year to work one day a week 鈥� will include 26 flats on the top four storeys, above six floors of office space and, at street level, a cantilevered retail colonnade.
Adjaye described the colonnade as a 鈥渃ontemporary re-interpretation of the arch motifs frequently used in the locality鈥�.
He said the development, which is in a conservation area and surrounded by grade I and II buildings, would begin to 鈥渞estore the Strand鈥檚 architectural confluence as a core power axis in line with that of The Mall, Whitehall and Pall Mall鈥�.
The building鈥檚 height and roofline respond to its neighbours, with particular consideration given to the view from Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.
Laura Marino, creative director and co-founder of development manager Alchemi Group,which has managed the planning process, said the architecture was 鈥渦nlike what is currently being built across London鈥�.
鈥淚t was crucial to come up with a building that addresses the importance of the site itself and would stand on its own without overshadowing its immediate surroundings nor the conservation area.鈥�
The offices are aiming for a Breeam Excellent rating.
The planning win comes two years after a mixed-use scheme opposite the Ritz in London鈥檚 Mayfair by Adjaye was approved by the same council. The work involves a 拢600 million redevelopment of an entire city block for Crosstree Real Estate Management.
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