Cabe commends Foster + Partners' Bloomberg HQ

A Design Council Cabe review of media giant Bloomberg’s new £550m London headquarters has praised Foster and Partners’ proposals for the site.

In particular, the design-review team said the proposal for Bloomberg Place was “a sensitive response to a challenging site” that was “soundly integrated with its context” and would “make a valuable contribution to the City of London”.

The review comes after Building revealed last week that contractor Sir Robert McAlpine had won the contract for the new Bloomberg HQ.

Singled out for praise were the vistas of St Pauls Cathedral that the development’s new public spaces would open up, and the creation of a dedicated visitor centre for the Temple of Mithras.

Also commended was the building’s integration with the new Waterloo and City underground station.

The review panel said dedicating the ground floor of the new building to public functions “animates the street in stark contrast to the uninviting edges of the existing building”.

However, they expressed concern that Bloomberg’s “very specific” client brief could set considerable challenges for future occupants.

They said: “In order to future proof the project, the design team and client should assure themselves that retrofitting the building to a more conventional layout is both simple and cost effective.”

Finally, the panel said the building’s elevations had been “skillfully articulated, with considerable attention paid to orientation and shading through the use of deep reveals and angled fins.”

To read the full review go to: www.designcouncil.org.uk