22 Bishpsgate Tower, London
The 62 storeys of 22 Bishopsgate, designed by PLP Architecture, is the tallest tower at the heart of the City of London’s financial district. PLP worked with engineers from Formula 1 to model every 10 centimeters of the building and the impact it would have on wind flows. The engineers created large-scale canopies, similar to those on the back of a race car, made out of steel and glass and ultra-high-performance reinforced concrete, to tamp down the wind flow – testing 23 different designs before settling on the best one. The tower is currently under construction.
22 Bishopsgate, with an area of 202,000sqm, is infused with smart technologies, from the front door to the glass façade and everything in between. The building’s facade is fine-tuned to tease out every last improvement. Glass with a lower proportion of iron than usual allows 60 percent more light into the building than standard glass does. A biometric security system, using facial recognition software, can provide or prevent access to the building automatically, and once inside office workers using the building’s app can control everything from the ambient temperature to the level of light through the windows – as well as book meeting rooms, etc.
The building is a Vertical Village, built to support its population of 12,000 inhabitants. The entrance hall is a multi-level foyer conceived as an art gallery with curated temporary art exhibits. The Bike Park has everything from 1699 spaces, to showers and lockers. The Market on level 2 offers a variety of fresh food and open kitchens, events and an external terrace. The double-height Exchange on level 7 offers space for qualified start-ups, with co-working, media suites, meeting rooms and facilities for networking and events.
The Gym features a double-height glass climbing wall and specialized training. The Retreat on level 41 offers relaxation, Pilates and yoga, and health services. On the 57th level, The Club allows occupiers an opportunity to host clients in a small room or at a conference. At the summit, five levels of restaurants, bars with external terrace, and London’s highest and free-to-public access Viewing Gallery, offer new ways to experience the City.
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