London, U.K.: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Inc. (SOM) has relocated its London headquarters to the Broadgate Tower, the most recent development of the Broadgate Estate on the eastern edge of the City of London. Both the new office and tower were designed by SOM. The 11,000-square-foot office space respects and expresses the key architectural and structural principles of the 35-story building while providing an inspiring work atmosphere for the firm’s 70 employees based in London. The design of the studio space uses a restrained and contemporary palette, which serves to emphasize the Broadgate Tower’s strong engineering principles. An air-rights building situated above 18 tracks leading into Liverpool Street station, the tower is supported in part by six striking A-frame trusses. SOM’s office is situated on the tower’s fourth floor — the point at which these sculptural trusses meet the building. The open-plan studio space is designed to maximize daylight and to support the multidisciplinary manner in which SOM teams operate. A system of desks have flexible arrangements depending upon project requirements and future workplace trends. A range of meeting spaces, from glass-fronted conference rooms to small breakout areas, allow for both formal gatherings and impromptu discussions. These varying spatial arrangements, coupled with a state-of-the-art presentation, AV and IT infrastructure, enable the staff to work at ease with local and global clients, as well as other SOM offices. “We are delighted to be working in a building that exemplifies SOM’s design ethos, encompassing master planning, architecture, structural engineering, and interior design by the firm,” says Kent Jackson, SOM Design Director. Moreover, the project signals the firm’s growing presence in London. “We’re pleased to be tenants at Broadgate Estates, an influential SOM project that helped bring the firm to London in 1986. Our new office renews our strong commitment to the city and continues to provide a central location to serve our increasingly global clientele,” says Jeffrey McCarthy, Managing Partner in charge of the London office. SOM’s relocation to Broadgate continues its nearly 30-year tenure in London and reinforces the firm’s commitment to London, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Photos of the office’s opening reception can be viewed on SOM’s Facebook page.
About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is one of the leading architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms in the world, with a 75-year reputation for design excellence and a portfolio that includes some of the most important architectural accomplishments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since its inception, SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which have had a palpable and lasting impact on the design profession and the physical environment. The firm’s longstanding leadership in design and building technology has been honored with more than 1,700 awards for quality, innovation, and management. The American Institute of Architects has recognized SOM twice with its highest honor, the Architecture Firm Award — in 1962 and again in 1996. The firm has more than 1,000 employees and maintains offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Abu Dhabi.