The Scoop Office Building
The Scoop Office Building
Corstorphine & Wright
FAÇADE ENGINEER
Wbd Group
BRICKWORK
Grafton
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Conisbee
M&E
We Design For
FAÇADE FABRICATOR
Winthill Engineering
QUANTITY SURVEYOR / PROJECT MANAGER
Lxa
YEAR
2024
LOCATION
London, United Kingdom
CATEGORY
Office Buildings
Text description provided by architect.
Leading UK architecture firm, Corstorphine & Wright, has announced the completion of 'The Scoop', a unique concave office building in Southwark, London. The innovative design reuses an existing building and integrates a conical cut-out façade in white glazed bricks, creating a playful and novel response to the site's context and neighbouring church.
Situated in the vibrant Union Street Conservation Area, the building stands as a testament to modern architecture while respecting the heritage of its surroundings, namely the adjacent Grade II listed Church of Most Precious Blood, whose circular window is now strikingly framed. The nearby Union Theatre, Jerwood Space, and Flat Iron Square further add to the rich cultural setting of the building.
The design retains the significant southern-facing and corner return of the existing facade, blending it seamlessly with a new build extension. This detailed approach ensures a successful integration into the neighbourhood, adding to the area's creative and artistic reputation.
Working closely with the forward-thinking, community-minded building owners, ThomsonHillsBalfour Limited (THB), Corstorphine & Wright has created a truly unique building, which is captivating passers-by following its recent unveiling. Key features of the 'The Scoop'.
Reuse and reconfiguration of an existing four storey office building to create prime, Cat A office space, with a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating; Side and upward extension of the building to increase the existing office space and create a roof garden with panoramic views over some of London's most iconic landmarks; Striking semi-circular void cut into the south façade, creating a 'visual bridge' that connects two divided views; A ground floor that aligns with the façade of the adjacent Roman Catholic church, a grade-II listed structure built in 1892 by Frederick Walters.
David Crosthwait, director at Corstorphine & Wright, said, "The whole team is proud and excited to share this project. The design of the scooped façade has allowed the building to be extended out in front of the church through a symbiotic relationship that protects and enhances the prominence and visibility of the church whilst providing a one-of-a-kind office headquarters.
It was important for us to honour the cultural and historic context of the area, and respect the neighbouring church building, ensuring its visibility and reverence. The resulting building is a carefully orchestrated balance, allowing its neighbours to shine, whilst also shining itself and adding to the vibrant architectural cultural variety of the area.
None of this would have been possible without the vision and support of our client who embraced the project and stuck with it through its challenges. It's a great accomplishment to reach this point and we feel the finished result is a testament to the role that bold design can play in enhancing our city.
" The client and building owners are delighted with the finished results. "Creating unique office spaces in a thoughtful and sustainable way was of huge importance both to us and our conscientious, forward-thinking tenants, MMGY Global.
We wanted to enable the teams working in the spaces to enjoy their environment and feel proud to be considering the local community, residents and businesses when developing the project," said Amanda and Peter Hills Balfour and Steve and Sarah Thomson of THB.
