Search
Newsfeed / RSS
Login / Register

Tower Bridge House

Tower Bridge House - Construction

The site is severely constrained by surrounding roads to the north and east and by St Katharine’s Dock, which forms the southern boundary. This led to the choice of a steel framed structural system that could be pre-fabricated off-site. This had the advantages of minimising the time necessary to construct the structure and produced sections that could be lifted accurately into place. An optimum structural grid of 9m x 13.5m metres was adopted to provide a column-free space and maximum flexibility to the main office floor-plates.

The external cores, with their exposed blue steelwork, are hung off the main structural frame.  These house the stairwells and lift shafts, as well as key services. The cores are particularly transparent, showing the structural clarity of the building, also reflected in the atrium.

The fully glazed west wall forming the enclosure to the atrium is a striking architectural feature. The glazing is six storeys high – a spectacular sheer glass plane, bolted to stainless steel cables held in high tension by the supporting structure.

    City & Context

Tower Bridge House provides a visual link between the historic dock areas and the City of London. The modern all glass façade is built to the same proportions as the warehouse buildings. Its entrance façade is angled to face the Tower of London.

    Public Realm

A small piazza was created between the building and the dock, to add to the pedestrianised space. Retail accommodation draws people into the lively dock area.