City Information Centre
St Paul's Churchyard
London
EC4M 8BX
Visitor Information
Architect: Make
Built: 2007
Size: 140m²
Awards: 2009 RIBA Award for Architectural Excellence; New City Architecture Award 2007; 2009 Civic Trust Award – Greater London Region; 2008 Bronze, Visit London Awards – Best Visitor Information Initiative
Engineer: Arup
This low, sharp building has a strong visual character unlike anything else in the City. Its form evolved from analysis of pedestrian flows across the site, which is at the north end of Millennium Bridge. A folded metallic envelope, triangular in plan, it has transformed the area opposite St Paul’s Cathedral into a stop-off point – surrounding it are landscaped lawns and benches on which tourists can sit and admire Wren’s masterpiece.
The 140m² of internal accommodation is formed from a steel frame braced with structural ply and clad in 220 pre-finished stainless steel panels. As with all modern buildings, eco credentials are important – it has been engineered to exceed current targets for CO2 emissions by 20% and the interior environment is regulated using borehole cooling. The sloping roof allows the collection of rainwater which is used to flush toilets and irrigate planting nearby.