The proposal was a “face” to the much larger St. Martin’s Courtyard, which is located invisibly within the city block beyond. The proposed functions of the upper floors are not public functions. There was a difficult challenge to reconcile the need for an eye-catching proposal and the private interior world of an office or residential building.
Our proposal reconciles this by the use of perforated metal industrial shutters. The proposal has an eye-catching dynamic interesting façade hinting at things beyond.
The body of the building from second to fifth floors consists of a simple masonry and glass façade with Juliet balconies for both Office and Residential options, which are delineated externally with perforated metal shutters. These shutters, when shut, controls light entering the space and solar gain, controlling heat gain within the building at appropriate times of the year. The resultant shutter movement gives an interesting and dynamic façade for the public.
The upper floors, including the new seventh floor, are treated as a pavilion constructed in Cor-ten steel. Cor-ten steel is a thick steel which naturally forms a rusting protective layer that lasts for hundreds of years. The design of the pavilion is in line with the expressed corners that are present in the area and also increases the visibility from the important views from Leicester Square, St. Martin’s Lane and others. Should the flank walls to the adjoining building become available for treatment, then a live green wall with dramatic night-time lighting is proposed.