36 THE CALLS OFFICE BUILDING

2010

36 THE CALLS OFFICE BUILDING

LEEDS

FORMING THE BUILDING = REINVENTING THE PLOT

A symbol for Yorkshire, 36 THE CALLS new building creates conditions of liveliness and play.
Designing contemporary buildings is not about fitting a structure into an empty plot but is more about creating new conditions of living space. The site is regarded as the opening of the city towards the river Aire. By pervading the solid volume of the building, we retain the urban void while creating a monolithic construction that dissolves into multiple stripes, allowing the public space to break in. On one hand, the public staircase -a 19 long straight promenade uniting the City Loop Rd to a restaurant-bar area – offering views to the north bank of the river and on the other hand, the “public plaza” whose surface folds into steps linking the city to the waterfront. The massive volume folds and crumples, accordingly so as to link the city space to the river and provide access and views to both the street and the water.  Our aim is to retain the continuity of the cityscape form and colour, by using perforated corten steel cladding panels that give an impression of a solid surface while allowing the gradual infiltration of day light and views outside. Linear voids penetrate the shell shaping the folding surface of the building while interior fluid spaces underline the shell’s structure pattern. Finally, the 5 storey office open-plan space is designed to adapt to multiple needs and facilitate employee interaction.

Architectural Competition organized by Municipality of Leeds
In collaboration with Nadia Krikou