West Entryway/Central Hub: Two Major Entrances Identified
Revamping White City's Skyline: A Tale of Two Visionaries
Flipping the script on London's White City, two architectural powerhouses - Allies and Morrison and Gort Scott - have worked their magic, breathing new life into a once fragmented urban landscape. Here's a peek into their transformational journey!
For Allies and Morrison, White City has been a labor of love spanning nearly two decades, beginning in 2000. Stepping into the shoes of its 1908 namesake, the Franco-British Exhibition, the firm has spearheaded an ongoing urban rejuvenation.
Originally an exhibition ground, the area was replaced by LCC's White City social housing estate by the 1950s. The last remaining remnant, the 1908 Olympic Stadium, was overtaken by the BBC's administrative headquarters in the 1980s, standing as a colossal inward-looking object until Allies and Morrison began weaving it into their grand plans for the BBC Media Village.
Their strategic urban design reshaped the area, introducing a higher degree of urban thinking, guided by a keen sense of heritage preservation and sustainability. Allies and Morrison seamlessly integrated the BBC HQ's diagonal geometry into a pattern of new office and production buildings, fostering connections with adjacent neighborhoods and creating a hub pulse with public spaces.
As the BBC decentralized its operations, the Media Village was sold to developers, and Allies and Morrison was tasked with reimagining their own legacy. The result? A bustling, vibrant district christened White City Place. The vision comprised exemplary reuse and adaptation of existing buildings, setting a benchmark for sustainability – a theme that continues to unfold with the new additions.
Step into the spotlight – Gateway West. Designed by Gort Scott, this compact, purple-bricked beauty assumes a strategic position between White City Place's perimeter blocks and its towering peers. In stark contrast to the conference center-esque aesthetics of its siblings, Gateway West is reminiscent of a fortress, characterized by a solid base and a castle-like crown, brought to life by projecting brick piers.
While significantly smaller, Gort Scott's charmer shares the same місіоn as its counterparts: providing high-quality, sustainable, and flexible office space while harmonizing with its surroundings. The Mediterranean-inspired bricks, adorned with various bonding patterns and joint treatments, create an intriguing façade, subtly hinting at its timber origins, albeit defying the architecture of its Kahnian predecessor.
Gateway West's loose-fit layout grants each floor adaptable autonomy, inviting multifaceted companies to call it home. Now, let's journey across the стуhero's stage to explore the colossal Gateway Central. Designed by Allies and Morrison, this resplendent giant follows the classic approach of base, middle, and top – each section tailored to orientation and context. The building's modern skin-and-bone construction exhibits steel structure, central core, and a distinctive aluminum facade, resulting in flexible workspaces of exceptional quality.
Searching for a contrast, yet sharing the same vision for harmony and adaptability, Gateway West and Gateway Central form an integral part of White City's evolving urban tapestry.
- In the realm of business and real-estate, the transformative journey of Allies and Morrison in White City has been driven by a mission to create sustainable and flexible office spaces.
- The health of the environment is an integral part of their plans, as Allies and Morrison seamlessly integrate sustainability principles into their urban designs.
- Education and urban thinking guide the strategic decisions made by Allies and Morrison, aiming to foster connections with adjacent neighborhoods and create hubs filled with public spaces.
- Investing in both the physical and social infrastructure of White City, Allies and Morrison, alongside Gort Scott, are shaping a thriving community that supports various sectors, including technology and finance.
