EDGE London Bridge

A civic building EDGE London Bridge, located next to London Bridge Station, will be the most sustainable office tower in London through its design and use of state-of-the-art technology. The new building, planned to be delivered in 2024, will have a vibrant and publicly accessible ground floor which in combination with a lush green garden will add to the ongoing transformation of this dynamic part of London’s South Bank. The character and activation of the building’s base marks a radical departure from that of a traditional London office building. The base of the building will be a multilevel, accessible, and inclusive public space where community facilities and flexible workspace animate the public realm, engaging with the surrounding neighbourhood. Fabric & Massing The building’s external form expresses its internal organisation which, alongside the exposed structural bracing, creates a legibility and hierarchy of scale which lends character and interest to local and distant views. Inspiration for the material palette which includes glazed terracotta façade panels has been drawn from the character of the surrounding area and the steel elements on the facade celebrate the heritage of the area and the presence of the railway station and viaducts. The building elevations display passive measures to minimise heat gain whilst maximising light into the building, responding to different environmental situations, through vertical shading, terraces, and openable façade elements. At the base of the building the side core opens a generous and connected public zone. Landscape extends into the ground floor to further activate the ground plane. Workspace & wellbeing The design of the building marries well-being and productivity with broader social and environmental sustainability goals. The office space has been designed to meet the needs of a range of businesses from small start-ups in flexible working environments to larger more established companies. Terraces on the north elevation of the building are designed to provide a green outlook from the adjacent office spaces whilst creating an external environment which can be used for informal meetings as well as a break-out space. Openable façade elements on each level offer the potential for natural ventilation whilst smart technologies within building elements such as the chilled ceiling panels with integrated lighting, sensors and other services help create a workplace that supports productivity and human comfort with minimal environmental impact. Designing for the future EDGE London Bridge will be London’s first multi-tenant building to achieve BREEAM outstanding and WELL platinum accreditations. Each design decision has been considered to minimise carbon in construction and operation. The frame is constructed with material-efficient post-tensioned concrete, reducing embodied carbon. Future adaptability will extend the useful life of the building with timber framing that can be customised to meet occupiers’ needs, further optimising embodied carbon and future flexibility. The building envelope has been designed to respond to the proposed surroundings and environmental conditions, enabling access to daylight whilst limiting unwanted heat loss in winter and reducing overheating in summer. The upper levels of the building are crowned with biodiverse green areas which use native species to promote varying moisture and root zone conditions and encourage bird foraging, nesting, and insect life.