250 WATERLOO ROAD
Southwark, SE1
MIXED USE COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
New build development & extensive refurbishment to provide 4 commercial units and 8 bespoke apartments
The original 250 Waterloo Road building was a single use L-shaped 5-storey with setback office block.
Based upon the existing complex of reinforced concrete floor slabs and columns the facades are arranged around a carefully structured composition, reminiscent of the steel and glass building that characterise New York’s commercial districts.
The new building has been meticulously designed and researched to realise a strong representation of the client’s aspirations. The building responds to its urban marker location, its lower floors contain 25,000sq ft of flexible open plan commercial tenancies, and the upper floors provide eight, high-end residential apartments.
KKM Architects’ proposal was to strip away the building’s facades, retaining only the reinforced concrete skeleton and developing the design around a distinctive external grid of steel girders, framing orthogonal glazed openings which diminish in size as they progress towards the upper floors.
The evolution of the design combines detailed technical construction with complex associated building services, creating a seamless experience from outside to inside.
The contemporary proposals using extensive curtain-wall glazing contained within a profiled aluminium frame enhance the character of the area reflecting the expansive modern redevelopment prevalent on Waterloo Road and within the surrounding area.
Fastidious detailing of the facades external grid enabled the creation of deeply articulated heavy steel aesthetic through the use of lightweight profiled aluminium suspended off of the existing concrete structure.
A projecting glass box, set over three stories, cantilevers forward of the main structure at the northeast corner, counter-balancing the mass of the steel against this lightweight glazing.
Exposed services to the underside of the open plan office space echo the rigorous nature of the grid, with layouts carefully planned to express simple repetition.
The design style extends into the building with bespoke staircases and furniture diligently expressive of the steel aesthetic.
Across the residential floors, a mix of apartments and duplex units are orientated to capture the surrounding views across London afforded by the central location. Duplexes are designed with bedrooms at the lower floor, allowing the main living spaces to open out onto large terraces on either side of the building, whilst the integration of extensive folding glass screens expand the spaces beyond the confines of the internal area.