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Ropemaker Place is a 81,218-sq-m, commercial office development in the city of London incorporating office, trading floors and retail facilities. Conceived as a simplified Chinese puzzle where the sum-of-the parts define the whole, the building is composed of six large-scale interlocking cubic forms, rising up as a series of garden terraces. Arup Associates’ design aims to enhance the relationship of the building to Moorgate and the larger City buildings beyond, while still respecting the domestic scale of Islington. The roof terraces, designed to be visible, particularly from the long distance northern views, are a remarkable natural amenity for the people who occupy the building and a bio-diverse habitat.
The 21 storey building has not only been completed at fast-track pace, but has achieved BREEAM ‘Excellent’, as well as LEED Platinum Pre-Certification for Shell & Core, the first outside the USA. It is set to achieve 33% lower carbon emissions than are set out in the current Building Regulations. Paul Burgess, Head of London Leasing at British Land, said: “We are pleased to have reached this important milestone on time and on budget. With Ropemaker we will be delivering our most sustainable development yet in the City. Its ability to help occupiers reduce both operational costs and their environmental impact is combined with a great range of floor-plates and a high level of specification to meet operational needs. The roof terrace gardens are of a scale and quality unparalleled in the City and are a wonderful feature for occupiers."
The façade design is an exemplar of the integration of architectural treatment with environmental performance: the design team created a bespoke tilting façade system, which reduces the energy required for cooling by up to 27% compared to a flat façade. The unusual use of glass and colour, and an extensive collaboration with light sculptors and artists, are features of both the interior and exterior of Ropemaker. This is a high quality office and retail environment, driven by an enlightened client with a well-established ethos of highly sustainable, flexible, contemporary workplaces.