Phases 2 and 3 of the Sheppard Robson designed redevelopment of Arup’s headquarters replace two 1960s buildings to provide the international engineering practice with five levels of offices and associated meeting rooms, reception, café, library, conference and exhibition space. This works to supplement Phase 1, also by Sheppard Robson, completed in 2003.

Design:

Phase 2 is designed around a central atrium, providing natural daylight to varying depths of floorplates and enabling interaction and connectivity through the building to the administration space and basement conference areas.

Phase 3 has 21m deep floorplates, allowing flexible space planning. The design of the full height open atrium was only possible through developing a bespoke horizontal retractable fire curtain at alternate floor levels, maximising the views of a full height feature glass wall designed by Alex Beleschenko. The folding planes expressed in the façade help break up the long street elevations and draw pedestrians towards the main entrances, which are further emphasised by an angled, solid canopy that works in tandem with these planes, meeting at the corner of Fitzroy and Howland Streets.

Innovation:

The façade design concept was driven by performance criteria imposed by the choice of active chilled beams as the air conditioning system, requiring an average of 50% of the façade to be insulated. The resultant patterning provides interest, animation and variety to the main street views. The design adopts an order dictated by the repetition of a helical DNA strand wrapped around the entire perimeter; this same concept is expressed on the textured patterning to the atrium feature glass wall.