HKR Architects and Telereal Forge Ahead in the City

HKR Architects, the multi-award-winning international architecture and design practice, has been granted planning permission for Fore Street a £74 million, 13 storey, 342,000 sq ft Grade A office development for Telereal in the City of London.

The scale and complexities of issues - sited on a former BT Exchange over the proposed Crossrail tunnels and adjacent to Moorgate Underground Station, together with complex issues with adjoining sites and The Barbican - brought increasing challenges to the scheme, which was unanimously passed by the planning committee.

The design responds to the constraints of the surrounding buildings and the fact it falls within the strategic views of St Paul's Cathedral. Designed for large City occupiers the building creates large open plan floorplates and rakes back at higher levels away from the Barbican in a series of stepped roof gardens. Floating on V columns the building is designed to cantilever over the proposed Crossrail tunnels. The building elevations have been designed to respond to their orientation and achieve optimum environmental control whilst creating a building of light and transparency. The building will be almost 30% better in terms of energy consumption than current best practice, and 20% better than best practice in terms of CO2 emissions.

David Roden, director at the London office of HKR commented:

‘The City of London and Square Mile businesses demand buildings of exceptional architectural quality, which this scheme delivers. The planners were very supportive of the design concept from the outset.’

Nigel Reid, national development manager at Telereal said: ‘HKR offers intelligent and commercial architecture. This striking development will provide state-of-the-art office accommodation appropriate to a world financial centre.’

HKR won an invited design competition for the commission in June 2006, beating major practices including Sheppard Robson, Hamilton Associates and Horden Cherry Lee.

Web: http://www.hkrarchitects.com