modern architecture london
modern architecture london

5 Aldermanbury Square

Eric Parry Architects, 2007
Offices | Aldermanbury Square, EC2V

Photos taken October 2009.

There are really only two requirements for the interiors of modern office buildings in the information age. There needs to be enough room between floors for services like cabling and air-conditioning and the floorplan must be as large and uncluttered as possible, allowing maximum flexibility for the tenant to arrange the space. 5 Aldermanbury Square meets these requirements but distinguishes itself in two ways - the facades and the arrangement at ground level.

Although it's not immediately apparent, the walls have floor to ceiling glazing. This is overlaid with steel cladding that provides the occupants with solar shading and the architects with an opportunity to distinguish their building from all the other glass-clad ones. The simple, elegant proportions come as a welcome relief compared to the awful mess of Alban Gate next door (by Terry Farrell during his unfortunate 1980s post-modernism phase).

At ground floor level, the building contributes to the public realm through the creation and connection of public space, allowing pedestrian access underneath the building linking Aldermanbury Square and Wood Street.