Melrose Arch – two buildings 1999 – 2005

Project 1 - A mixed use corner building, awarded in a limited competition, includes two shops at ground floor level, two floors of offices and a penthouse apartment with loft and roof terraces. The building’s structural layout is arranged in a radial pattern to follow the crescent shape of the north boundary of the site.

An oval shaped tower creates a corner entrance at street level. The dominant façade elements are sandstone clad and form a crescent shaped concave arcade on the north and a convex grille wall in front of the offices on the east side. A canopy over the high street forms a sweeping curve which captures the form of both the east façade and the oval corner tower. A glass and steel canopy punctuates the giant order of the north colonnade and identifies the place of entry into the subterranean public parking.

Project 2 - 16 luxury apartments with two and three bedrooms, grouped around two lift cores. The four rooftop apartments have loft spaces with screened pool terraces. Access to the individual apartments is from private landings shared between two units.

The five storey building has its concrete frame expressed on the façades and uses concealment and/or exposure of slab edges to define the proportions of the massing elements of the façades. The elevators are enclosed by coloured glass shafts which reflect and filter sunlight into the lobbies.

Hover over image to enlarge...