Herzog & de Meuron reveals images of its first residential tower in the UK. ‘One Park Drive is located in London’s Canary Wharf area and the tower is near completion it has just recently started welcoming its first residents.
images by lee mawdsley
In an area that is a central business district defined by its office block neighborhoods, Herzog & de Meuron wanted to design a high-rise building that is, scale-wise, more humane. One Park Drive is part of larger residential development action in Canary Wharf––offering a unique experience in a waterside vivid urban hub.
images by lee mawdsley
“Set against the backdrop of the existing Canary Wharf buildings, the circular form of the new tower clearly distinguishes itself from its orthogonal neighbors,” said the studio.
The 58-story tower rises 205 meters and forms an eye-catching cylindrical form with a fragmented, geometrical facade. The fragmentation of the facade into terraces and windows offers uninterrupted views of Canary Wharf’s waterside and greenery, gives the apartment regular straight edges to make furniture placing easier, and, as well, eases the residents into the more human-friendly scale that they can relate to.
images by lee mawdsley
While Herzon & de Meuron designed the exterior of One Park Drive, the remarkable interiors are designed by Goddard Littlefair and Bowler James Brindley. The interiors of the tower feature an overall warm and peaceful atmosphere––thanks to the material choices of concrete walls, timber paneling, and natural stone, and the soft color palette.
images by lee mawdsley
The 484 apartments of One Park Drive are divided into three distinct categories, which can be defined through the tower’s facade. After the lowest two floors that feature the non-residential uses are 9 floors of large apartments with curved terraces all around the cylindrical tower.
Above these are 22 floors of smaller apartments––this part of the tower overhangs as a whole which distinguishes it from the other parts. The tower is topped with 25 floors of large apartments with curved external walls.
images by lee mawdsley
“It looks like a round building, but doesn’t have the issues of breaking around building into apartments,” explained De’ath
“Round buildings are very challenging to occupy as you need specific furniture or end up with lots of odd-shaped dead spaces,” he continued.
images by lee mawdsley
One Park Drive was designed to be the centerpiece of Wood Wharf, Canary Wharf’s new district. The services offered to the residents include reception, 24/7 concierge, lounge, cinema, library, and a fully equipped health club.
Launched in March 2017, Herzog & de Meuron’s first residential tower in the UK is nearly complete. In the meantime, the studio is designing seven duplex penthouses that will take place on the top two floors of the tower and are expected to complete by the end of this year.
Herzog & de Meuron is a Swiss architecture firm founded in 1978 and is known for its innovative designs including a ‘horizontal skyscraper’ above a historical site in Moscow.
