10 Gresham Street
London
EC2V 7JD
Visitor Information
Architect: Foster + Partners
Built: 2003
Size: 24,115m²
Awards: Civic Trust Award 2004
This building is close to the Guildhall, the ancient civic centre of the City, which made it a sensitive proposition. As Foster + Partners’ website says, “designing infill buildings in this context is a delicate balancing act between commercial requirements, the need for flexibility, and respect for the area’s historical character and traditional materials.” The eight-storey structure extends below ground level to bring daylight down into the basement floors and the architects heightened this sense of light and space by glazing the lifts and lobbies so as to refract sunlight around the circulation spaces. On the exterior, corner stair towers are clad in limestone. The island building (unusual in the City of London) is bounded almost entirely by streets. To the south, the architects have “pulled it back” from the site boundary to create a more “respectful relationship” with the Wax Chandlers Hall. The resulting passageway and public court features an unusual fountain and restaurant with outside seating.