Unilever House, London, England, United Kingdom
From Archiplanet
| Unilever House | |
| Designer | James Lomax-Simpson |
| Location | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Date | 1930 to 1931 |
| Building Type | Office Building |
| Construction System | steel, glass |
| Climate | Mild Temperate |
| Context | Urban |
| Architectural Style | Neoclassical |
| Street Address | 100 Victoria Embankment Walk Score |
| Notes | in collaboration with Sir John Burnet and Partners. |
Contents |
[edit] Images
[edit] Discussion
| Building Details | |
| Client | Unilever |
| Awards |
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"Contrasting architects collaborated in the design and execution of the original building. The exterior and the overall planning of the building are credited to James Lomax-Simpson, a member of the Unilever Board, in collaboration with the firm of Sir John Burnet and Partners. Burnet was nearing the end of his career but his young partner, Thomas Tait, was to establish himself as a leading proponent of 1930s modernism. It appears that the relative conservatism of the exterior came from Lomax-Simpson, while the modern feel to the construction details stems from Burnet and Tait’s familiarity with the latest techniques in office construction at the time. Lomax-Simpson is credited with ‘working out’ the plans in an incredibly short time.
"The impressive blank ground floor wall was designed to protect the building from the already busy junction at the north end of Blackfriars Bridge. The setback allowed the new building foundations to miss the previous buildings foundations and step these away from the adjacent underground tunnels. However, in other respects, the building was open to its surroundings with three office entrances along the front crescent, and an additional two public entrances to the basement café and restaurant that preserved the previous hotels liquor license. A cinema was also originally located in the basement." – BuildingUnilever.com
[edit] Building Interior Renovation (2007)
| Building Modification (2007-) | |
| Unilever House | |
| Designer | Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects (KPF), London, England, United Kingdom |
| Date | 2007 |
| Modification Type | Major interior renovation. |
| Building Type | Office Building |
| Construction System | Steel, glass, concrete. |
| Architectural Style | Modern |
| Builder | Bovis Lend Lease |
"The overall goal set by Unilever was to transform their work place and their exposure to the public whilst keeping the best from the past, including their historic ties to the site and the building they commissioned in the 1920s.
"There are three main considerations for the design;
"1. The creation of a modern working environment at Unilever House to make it appropriate for Unilever Plc’s continued use of the building as its strategic global HQ.
"2. The re-integration of the building into its immediate community through physical re-connections and new patterns of use.
"3. The improvement of views to St. Paul’s from Waterloo Bridge and the South Bank through revised elevational treatment to improve its visual impact." – BuildingUnilever.com
| Building Details | |
| Client | Unilever PLC, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Area | new construction: 6,000 square feet (560 square meters) |
| Awards |
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[edit] Project Credits
- Quantity Surveyors: Davis Langdon, London, England, United Kingdom
- Initial Workplace Research: DEGW, London, England, United Kingdom
- Space Planning: Pringle Brandon Consulting, London, England, United Kingdom
- Interior Design: Pringle Brandom, London, England, United Kingdom
- Engineer: Arup, London, England, United Kingdom
- General Contractor: Bovis Lend Lease (General Contractor & Developer), London, England, United Kingdom
- Landscape Architect: Charles Funke Associates, Godalming, England, United Kingdom
- Photo Credit: H.G. Esch Photography, Hennef Stadt Blankenburg, Germany
[edit] Maps
[edit] References
- Northeastern Building Types 2008 by ArchitectureWeek, ArchitectureWeek No. 386, 2008.0625. pN1.1.
- AIA Honor Awards 2008 by ArchitectureWeek, ArchitectureWeek No. 369, 2008.0220. pN1.1.
