The Broadgate Exchange House in London, celebrated for its simple yet ingenious structural system that unifies design and function in the mid-century Modernist tradition, has been selected for the 2015 AIA Twenty-five Year Award. Designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM) and completed in 1990, the Exchange House is a recognizable presence in central London.
Recognizing architectural design of enduring significance, the Twenty-five Year Award is conferred on a building project that has stood the test of time by embodying architectural excellence for 25 to 35 years. Projects must demonstrate excellence in function, in the distinguished execution of its original program, and in the creative aspects of its statement by today’s standards. The award will be presented to SOM in May at the AIA National Convention in Atlanta.
Exchange House, an elegant ten-story office building that spans over the merging tracks of London’s Liverpool Street Station, is located in London’s Broadgate Development. As one of the last remaining areas for development at Broadgate, SOM was able to envision an opportunity to resolve these challenges through a multi-faceted approach encompassing architecture, engineering, and masterplanning.
The structural and architectural solutions for this development were entirely intertwined, embracing the constraints of the site and using them to fuel a clear, elegant solution that dramatically overcomes the challenges beneath it. The building is suspended over the rail lines below via four, seven-story tied arches that bridge 256ft (78m), while only five percent of its footprint touches the ground. The centrally located lift core, fire stairs, and even the lobby are suspended from this bridge structure, touching the plaza beneath it out of necessity for access rather than support. By elevating the building the opportunity to bring an open space beneath was created, connecting Exchange Square to the south to Primrose Street to the north.
Exchange House is the first project in the United Kingdom and only the third international project to win the award. It is the sixth SOM project to win the award.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Oct 28, 2019
LEGO opens the first phase of its new Billund, Denmark campus
C.F. Møller Architects designed the project.
Office Buildings | Oct 23, 2019
Ferrara Candy Company gets new HQ space in Chicago’s Old Post Office building
NELSON Worldwide designed the project.
Office Buildings | Oct 23, 2019
London’s new ‘Can of Ham’ office building completes construction
Foggo Associates designed the building.
Office Buildings | Oct 21, 2019
IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union headquarters completes construction
LEO A Daly designed the building.
Office Buildings | Oct 17, 2019
New social campus for innovators, tech leaders covers a full city block
Hollwich Kushner, with Gensler as design development architects, designed the building.
Office Buildings | Oct 15, 2019
New 80,000-sf coworking space completes in Chicago
It is the third ‘Spaces’ location in Chicago.
Office Buildings | Oct 8, 2019
David Chipperfield Architects to design new Rolex USA headquarters
The project will replace the existing building that has been occupied by Rolex since the 1970s.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 1, 2019
Medical offices are filling space vacated by retail
Healthcare developers and providers like the locations, traffic, and parking these spaces offer.
Office Buildings | Sep 25, 2019
'Catalyst' will be Washington’s first CLT office building
Katerra is the design builder for the project with Michael Green Architecture as the design architect.
Office Buildings | Sep 6, 2019
New office complex in Southern California strives to create a Silicon Valley-like campus vibe
FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy includes 100,000 sf of amenities, and is laid out to tie into the surrounding city.