Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Ltd.

The Bower Office Building

The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar

THE BOWER OFFICE BUILDING

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

QS
Arcadis

MANUFACTURERS
FastLane

LIGHTING CONSULTANT
Lighting Design International

ACCESSIBILITY & EQUALITY CONSULTANT
David Bonnett Associates

MAIN CONTRACTOR
SISK, Skanska

LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
Townshend Landscape Architects

ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT
Sandy Brown

CDM COORDINATOR
Orsa

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Waterman Group

PROJECT MANAGER
GVA Second London Wall

APPROVED BUILDING INSPECTOR
HCD Group

FACADE ENGINEER
Arup

CLIENT
Helical

M&E CONSULTANT
Sweco

AREA
43445 m²

YEAR
2018

LOCATION
London , United Kingdom

CATEGORY
Mixed Use Architecture, Bank, Sustainability

The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar

Text description provided by architect.

The Bower is the reinvention of a collection of 1960s buildings originally built for British Telecom when the world of work was very different from today.

A windswept and overlooked site has been re-engaged with the city, with a new pedestrian street linking the Old Street boulevard with the more delicate backstreets of Moorfields.

The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar

A contemporary mix of retail, restaurants, studios and larger floorplate offices are housed within the re-worked Tower, the Warehouse to the rear (where BT printed their bills), and a collection of smaller Studio buildings which line the site and frame the new mews.

The regeneration of the public realm creates new external spaces and routes linking north to south.

The tallest building is stripped back, extended outwards and upwards, and given a new facade.

The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar

A language of Miesian profiles in a metallic grey-brown defines the architectural character of the Tower, with patterned glass spandrels to control heat gain.

Side extensions to the Tower provide double-height spaces and characterful office floors. The original sculptural pre-cast concrete panels to the Warehouse have been restored, the bricks are cleaned, and new windows complement the existing facade.

The new Studio buildings extend this language of brick and profiled glazing frames, as well as helping to activate the public realm.

The Bower Office Building
© Rob Parrish
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar

On the ground floor, a new route from Old Street is cut through the base of the slab block, introducing permeability and making the visual connection to a new courtyard and the street route.

The project extends AHMM’s involvement in the overall regeneration of the Old Street area and connects into a wider network of buildings, routes, yards, and places.

The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Rob Parrish
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar


The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar
The Bower Office Building
© Timothy Soar


The Bower Office Building
Proposed ground floor plan
The Bower Office Building
Proposed location plan
The Bower Office Building
Proposed ground floor plan
The Bower Office Building
Proposed terrace level plan
The Bower Office Building
Proposed typical floor plan
The Bower Office Building
Proposed section

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Ltd.
T +44 20 72515261
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Ltd.
Morelands, 5-23 Old St, London EC1V 9HL, United Kingdom