Islington set to vote on plans to partially demolish and refurbish 1980s building next week
Plans by Make to partially demolish and refurbish a postmodern 1980s office building next to the Barbican are set to be given the green light next week.
The 48 Chiswell Street scheme for Berkeley Estate Asset Management has been recommended for approval by Islington council鈥檚 planning officers ahead of a committee meeting on 14 November.
It proposes a comprehensive overhaul of the corner site鈥檚 seven-storey building, located on the edge of the City of London between the Barbican and a row of grade II-listed Georgian townhouses.
Make said the existing building, designed by Newman Levinson and Partners and built in 1987, currently faced a number of issues including an awkward layout, a lack of natural light and outdated internal office spaces.
The practice also criticised the site鈥檚 most prominent feature, a pentagonal entrance tower, as 鈥渄isjointed and incoherent鈥� against its backdrop and clad with 鈥渃rude over scale detailing鈥�.
The feature would be demolished under the plans and replaced with a new block clad in green ceramic tiles, while the rest of the building would be reclad, refurbished and extended upwards by two storeys with a series of landscaped terraces added on upper levels.
Islington鈥檚 planning officers said the firm鈥檚 plans were considered to be a 鈥渉igh quality proposal鈥� which would significantly improve on the existing building.
The project team includes cost consultant Turner & Townsend Alinea, project manager Blackburn, structural engineer Elliott Wood, planning consultant Gerald Eve and landscape architect Townshends.
Other retrofit schemes under development in the area include AHMM鈥檚 45 Beech Street, a Barbican-inspired refurbishment of a 1950s office building which was
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