SOM produced the master plan for London’s Canary Wharf, a thriving financial center. This Morgan Stanley building, which houses the company’s European headquarters, is one of numerous buildings SOM has designed within the 1.2-million-square-meter development. 20 Bank Street is a grid-frame structure with a skylit atrium. Its cage-like expression relates to nearby structures.
20 Bank Street is the second building in Canary Wharf designed by SOM for Morgan Stanley. The first, on Founders Court, was designed by SOM architect Bruce Graham in a transitional heritage style using red granite and limestone, with green mullions and clear glass. The new facility needed to visually connect to the first building to reinforce a consistent corporate image.
Clad in granite, 20 Bank Street’s core is located on its east face, acting as a barrier to the Dockland Light Railway station located next door. To compensate for the lack of light and eastern views, the structure has a U-shaped configuration from the third through to the ninth floors. A welcoming atrium is illuminated via an expansive skylight and a grand glass cable wall on the west.
