London, United Kingdom
Designed by 3XN and Adamson Associates, 2 Finsbury Avenue (2FA) at Broadgate is located at the largest pedestrianized neighborhood in Central London.
If plans are approved, the project replaces two buildings designed by Peter Foggioin the 1980s and overrides an Arup plan for a 32-storey office tower authorized in 2016, but never realized.
The 3XN project consists of a 12-storey podium with a 35-storey East Tower and 20-storey West Tower.
The 2 Finsbury Avenue buildings will have matching facades, characterized by triangular patterns that are made from a combination of solid and glazed sawtooth-shaped facade modules.
The towers are linked by a 12-storey podium that will contain green spaces and communal areas, designed by the architects to reflect the qualities of the Broadgate area.
Connecting to the existing neighborhood is a central element of the design and a public route under the building will extend Finsbury Avenue to create a new route from Eldon Street to Sun Street via Finsbury Avenue Square.
In line with the client’s sustainability strategy, the building will target Net Zero Carbon in construction and operation as well as a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification. To achieve this ambitious goal, a series of forward-thinking environmental initiatives will be incorporated.
“The Broadgate campus offers a fantastic range of amenities, outstanding public spaces as well as workspaces, retail and restaurants and we wanted to introduce these qualities to the building,” said Audun Opdal, senior partner at 3XN.
“Therefore, the building is perceived as a series of interconnected volumes, where the connecting points are the social spaces, amenities and green spaces.”
Public access to the building will be delivered through the inclusion of a new learning hub fronting on to Sun Street and Wilson Street.
“We are extremely happy and grateful to have been chosen to design 2 Finsbury Avenue at Broadgate in London,” said 3XN’s co-founder Kim Herforth Nielsen.
“Together with British Land, a project was developed demonstrating that architectural as well as development ambitions can come together in a forward-thinking office building.”
Outdoor spaces that are really well designed to accommodate all kinds of events whether that be a concert in a park, farmers market — there’s a dog run,” said Dale.
“And further, thinking about uses beyond retail — things like a 20,000-community facility and a daycare that would be available to the public as well.”
The site will be powered by a solar farm in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, that Amazon bought in collaboration with Arlington County. It will include 2.8 million feet of office space spread among three 22-story LEED Platinum office buildings and The Helix, a building designed to embrace natural elements inside and out.
“We want these spaces to be lively and energetic, not only during the day when all of the Amazon employees are there but also in the evenings and on weekends — that’s super important to us,” said John Schoettler, Amazon’s vice president of real estate and facilities.
The project is expected to be finished in 2025.
Architects: 3XN
Architects of Record: Adamson Associates
Sustainability Consultant: Atelier Ten
Client: British Land
