Mixed-use Building in London
This project by Jean Nouvel is situated directly across from the apse of St. Paul’s Cathedral on one of the most hotly contested sites in London; Prince Charles singled out this area in his crusade against modern architecture. The British client, project developer Land Securities, and its French star architect were aware of the challenge and yet were able to realize an uncompromising building. A 52 000 m² mixed-use commercial building (shops, offices and restaurants) now stands on the 1.35-hectare site; its glazed skin, consisting of 6500 silk-screened and coloured panes of glass, completely cloaks the building – the facades as well as the roof. “How can we build near St. Paul’s Cathedral in a manner that both pays respect and carries on a conversation with it? How can we design a fifth facade that will be a pleasure to see from the dome as well as a coherent roofscape, which defines the place – attuned to the surrounding roofs?” asked Jean Nouvel during the presentation of his concept back in 2005.
