GOLDA-MEIR-STEG, BERLIN OPEN

GOLDA-MEIR-STEG, BERLIN OPEN

Berlin's newest pedestrian and cycle bridge, Golda-Meir-Steg, designed by ACME opens to the public today!

Spanning the Berlin-Spandauer-Schifffahrtskanal, it creates an East-West link between two divided districts: the new Europacity and the Mitte district.

View project here

GRAND DESIGNS: RIBA HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2021

GRAND DESIGNS: RIBA HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2021

ACME designed Bumpers Oast is shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year 2021 and will feature on Channel 4’s Grand Designs this evening at 9pm! Watch online here.

Kevin McCloud, Damion Burrows and Michelle Ogundehin visit the homes competing for UK’s most prestigious award for a new house or extension. 

STRATFORD PAVILION LONDON SITE VISIT

STRATFORD PAVILION LONDON SITE VISIT

ACME enjoys a winter site visit to the recently completed Stratford Pavilion. This vertical piazza is a new place in Stratford to gather, relax and enjoy views of the Olympic Park and the developing East Bank from the publicly accessible rooftop.
FOLKESTONE HARBOUR & SEAFRONT ON SITE

FOLKESTONE HARBOUR & SEAFRONT ON SITE

Site work continues to progress well for Folkestone Harbour & Seafront residential development. Phase one, consisting of 84 homes, is due for completion late 2022.  Each new home will have spectacular views out to sea and along the coastline, as well as access to a new shared communal green space. 
LONDON BUILD EXPO 2021 SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT

LONDON BUILD EXPO 2021 SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT

ACME joins the Sustainability Stage at London Build Expo 2021 for a discussion about Healthy Buildings, Spaces and People with Hawkins\Brown, PRP, UCL, Manea Kella and Morris+Company.
CANOPY BY HILTON LONDON CITY OFFICIAL OPENING

CANOPY BY HILTON LONDON CITY OFFICIAL OPENING

Canopy by Hilton London City Hotel and Portsoken Community Centre in Aldgate celebrate their official opening today!

City of London’s Alderman and Sheriff Nicholas Lyons led the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

RIBA HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2021 BUMPERS OAST

RIBA HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2021 BUMPERS OAST

Bumpers Oast has been selected as a finalist for RIBA House of the Year 2021. The winner will be announced during Channel 4’s Grand Designs: House of the Year, which will air later this year.
CANOPY BY HILTON, LONDON CITY OPEN

CANOPY BY HILTON, LONDON CITY OPEN

UK's first Canopy by Hilton opens in London! Located in Aldgate, the hotel design by ACME is inspired by the area's rich local heritage. Open for bookings here

METRO CAMPUS, DUSSELDORF VISION

METRO CAMPUS, DUSSELDORF VISION

ACME's mixed-use Metro Campus scheme will create a diverse, lively urban quarter for the city of Düsseldorf.

A collaboration with Stadt Land Fluss, Kieran Fraser Landscape Design and Transsolar.

STRUCTURAL TIMBER AWARDS 2021

STRUCTURAL TIMBER AWARDS 2021

IQL Pavilion in Stratford is the overall winner at the Structural Timber Awards 2021. Split over three floors, the Pavilion is an extremely lightweight timber structure that sits on top of a DLR tunnel with limited allowances for additional weight or foundations. 

Constructed using cross-laminated and glue-laminated timber panels, only shallow concrete foundations were needed. Timber has a much lower carbon footprint than more traditional materials and provides warmth and tactility to the interior.

ETTERSBURGER GESPRACH 2021

ETTERSBURGER GESPRACH 2021

Friedrich Ludewig and Heidrun Schuhmann of ACME join the discussion about urban redevelopment, innovation and sustainability strategies at Ettersburger Gespräch 2021. REWE Market of the Future prototype is presented as an exemplary case study. More information here

HAUGEN AT THE PAVILION, STRATFORD

HAUGEN AT THE PAVILION, STRATFORD

Haugen, Stratford's new alpine-inspired D&D food destination opens today! Located on Endeavour Square, the BREEAM Outstanding Timber Building designed by ACME provides two floors of restaurants and bars, and a rooftop terrace open to all, with stunning views of London's Olympic Park, London Aquatics Centre and the emerging East Bank.

A GIFT TO THE CITY: SAB, LEIPZIG

A GIFT TO THE CITY: SAB, LEIPZIG

Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB) building in Leipzig, Germany was officially opened today with a ceremony of over 100 guests to mark the occasion.

“The architecturally outstanding ensemble expresses the bank's serving function for the community. With its forum, it creates a high-quality public space in the centre of Leipzig. The innovative forest of columns impresses with its play of light and shadow and its transparency and permeability." - Philipp Oswalt, Professor at the University of Kassel, former head of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation

SAB, LEIPZIG STAIRS

SAB, LEIPZIG STAIRS

For the Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB) in Leipzig, ACME has developed the building cores to prioritise stairs over lifts. The usual fire escape stair void has been widened to ensure daylight on all levels. Acoustic absorption has been installed in the soffit to allow the core to remain open to the offices. The core enclosure has been cast in-situ, with precast steps and railings. To invite more use of the stair, the concrete for steps and railings has been precast and polished, making it feel more precious.

SAB, LEIPZIG OPENING

SAB, LEIPZIG OPENING

Final construction site visit before the public opening of the SAB building in Leipzig, Germany. The new office headquarters of Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB) is nearly complete and will be officially opened on 9th September 2021. 

ACME won the international competition in 2013, and after a long construction journey, we look forward to the citizens of Leipzig exploring the public space for the first time. Located next to Leipzig's main train station and occupying an entire block in the city centre, the site is defined through an L shaped building framing a new public space. The building provides 500 workspaces, a conference centre, auditorium, consultation rooms and a restaurant.

PLANNING SUBMITTED: H1, ELEPHANT PARK

PLANNING SUBMITTED: H1, ELEPHANT PARK

H1 development, one of the most sustainable new office buildings in London, progresses to planning stage. This is ACME's tallest timber building to date and it sets a new benchmark for timber structures in the city.

Located directly beside Elephant Park, greenery surrounds the ground floor level and extends up onto the south-facing stepped outdoor terraces located on every level of the building. The new building form sensitively responds to site constraints and provides modern, flexible, and open workspace that is adaptable for the future. 

RIBA SOUTH EAST AWARD 2021: BUMPERS OAST

RIBA SOUTH EAST AWARD 2021: BUMPERS OAST

Bumpers Oast, Kent wins RIBA South East Award 2021. The jury felt that was a very successful, enjoyable and thought-provoking work of architecture. It is a celebration of a client-architect relationship that has led to such an unusual building.
FOLKESTONE SEAFRONT

FOLKESTONE SEAFRONT

The first residential building within phase 1 of Folkestone Seafront in Kent is well underway, creating 84 new beachfront homes.

In a playful nod to adjacent Victorian seaside estates, the development creates new urban crescents, articulated with curved bay windows and balconies. Expansive sea views on the beach side will be complemented by a raised communal garden on the wind-protected side of the crescent.

WAF 2021 FINALIST

WAF 2021 FINALIST

Bumpers Oast is shortlisted for World Architecture Festival 2021 - House & Villa (Rural/Nature) - Completed Buildings Award.

The traditional oast house form has been reimagined by ACME to create a new home within the rolling landscape and apple orchards of Kent. The building is highly insulated and designed to passive house standards of airtightness, with the oast cones used to encourage slow air movement and purge ventilation from high level openings during the summer.

MOVING IN: SAB, LEIPZIG

MOVING IN: SAB, LEIPZIG

The new office building for Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB), the Development Bank of the Free State of Saxony, nears completion. Employees begin to move in this month and the official opening will take place in September 2021.

ACME won the international competition in 2013. Our design revisits the typology of a bank as an imposing institution: the usual front of columns has been dissolved into a forest of supports. These new columns work hard - supporting, shading, sheltering the open space and geothermally cooling and heating the SAB building.

METRO CAMPUS, DUSSELDORF

METRO CAMPUS, DUSSELDORF

ACME wins Metro Campus urban planning competition. The jury, consisting of renowned architects, urban planners and landscape architects, representatives of Metro Properties, as well as Düsseldorf politicians and administrators unanimously voted for ACME's sustainable design which references the local history of the site. 

This mixed-use scheme will create a diverse, lively urban quarter for the city of Düsseldorf. A collaboration with Stadt Land Fluss and Kieran Fraser Landscape Design.

THE PLAN: VIRTUAL PERSPECTIVE FORUM

THE PLAN: VIRTUAL PERSPECTIVE FORUM

ACME joins The Plan's Virtual Perspective Forum - Panel Discussion: Creating Experiences on the 29th of June 2021 at 1:30PM BST. Sheena Seeley and Tim Laubinger discuss how design skills and sensitivity toward context, materials and natural elements build a multi-sensory journey for the end-user.

DUBLIN CENTRAL PLANNING SUBMITTED

DUBLIN CENTRAL PLANNING SUBMITTED

Planning has been submitted for 3 of 6 plots for the ambitious mixed-use 2.2ha site, Dublin Central. The masterplan proposals include two new public squares, new pedestrian routes, a fully integrated metro link station for O'Connell Street and the restoration of historically important streets and laneways. 

The scheme will ensure the area around Nos.14-17 Moore Street, a National Monument due to its role in the Easter Rising is appropriately restored. An ACME collaboration with Grafton Architects, Mola Architecture and RKD for Hammerson.

SWANSEA CENTRAL PHASE 1 ON SITE

SWANSEA CENTRAL PHASE 1 ON SITE

During these final months on site, construction continues at speed. Phase 1 - which includes the iconic Swansea Arena, a coastal park, a pedestrian and cycle bridge, 33 homes, a carpark and 500mof commercial space - is due for completion in Autumn 2021.
REWE WIESBADEN OPEN

REWE WIESBADEN OPEN

REWE’s Market of the Future in Wiesbaden is now open. This is a prototype for a new adaptable and sustainable market concept, able to fit any site typology. An iconic and highly visible timber structure forms the main element of a new architectural identity for REWE. 

REWE MARKET OF THE FUTURE ON SITE

REWE MARKET OF THE FUTURE ON SITE

Metalwork packages are delivered and installed, and basil planting has begun on site. Locally farmed and prepared produce will be openly showcased at this new market hall in Wiesbaden, Germany. An aquaponic farm is housed within the building and a modular greenhouse above. 

REWE’s Market of the Future opens to the public on 27 May 2021.

COPR BAY BRIDGE INSTALLATION

COPR BAY BRIDGE INSTALLATION

Swansea's new Copr Bay bridge was eased into place in a major construction operation over the weekend of March 6-7. The 150 metric tonne bridge is now in place over Oystermouth Road. It's up to 12 metres wide, 49m long and features 2,756 laser-cut origami shapes. Commissioned and developed by Swansea Council, the footbridge will be pivotal in improving access between the city, the Marina and the coastline.

The bridge will be a stepping stone for a greener and more liveable Swansea city centre. It's expected the bridge will be ready for use in the second half of 2021, ahead of the opening of the arena which is on schedule to be completed this year.

 

COPR BAY BRIDGE INSTALLATION

COPR BAY BRIDGE INSTALLATION

Set to be a new architectural landmark for the city, Swansea’s new bridge, designed by ACME, is getting ready to be installed this weekend. After six months of assembly work, the new pedestrian and cycle bridge linking the City Centre to the new Arena and the waterfront is getting ready to be lifted in place.

The arch shape stabilizes the bridge and offers glimpses of the city’s new Copr Bay district including a new 1.1-acre Coastal Park. The bridge will open to the public in late 2021. The installation of the footbridge (from Sat 10pm to Sunday 6am GMT) will be streamed live: link.

STRATFORD IQL PAVILION PROGRESS

STRATFORD IQL PAVILION PROGRESS

The Pavilion in the International Quarter Stratford is starting to take shape. In 2017, ACME won the invited competition, and over the last four years, we have been working with Lendlease and Blumer Lehmann team to construct a lightweight timber structure above the DLR tunnels at the entrance of the Queen Elizabeth Park.

The Pavilion accommodates an Olympic Park visitor centre, a cafe, a restaurant, and a public rooftop terrace overlooking the Eastbank and the London Stadium. D&D will commence fit-out of the spaces shortly, for opening in Fall 2021.

SURFACE DESIGN AWARDS FOR BUMPERS OAST

SURFACE DESIGN AWARDS FOR BUMPERS OAST

Bumpers Oast won the Surface Design Awards 2021 for best "House Exterior" and best "House Interior". The jury was impressed by the contemporary interpretation of the Kentish oast houses, traditionally used to dry hops.
ACME IS NET CARBON ZERO

ACME IS NET CARBON ZERO

The ACME Carbon Audit for 2020 is complete and available for download here. In addition to reviewing our projects and office carbon use, we have included a carbon audit of our office renovations and working from home due to COVID-19.

ACME key sustainability targets include:
- Reduce embodied carbon
- Assess operational carbon of completed ACME buildings
- Evaluate and increase biodiversity within our projects
- Audit the positive impact of green spaces and trees within ACME projects
TALK AT BAU ONLINE

TALK AT BAU ONLINE

ACME will speak in the Forum "Facing the Future", for BAU Online, the German Building Congress. Friedrich Ludewig will outline in a few projects how emerging 3D tools are affecting how we manage complexity, and how BIM is changing the way we communicate and evaluate space.

The talk on Friday the 15th at 1pm (GMT+1) and will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Boris Schade-Bünsow, the Editor of Bauwelt. Registration here.

HAPPY 2021

HAPPY 2021

Happy 2021 from everyone at ACME.
PLANNING APPROVAL FOR 60 ALDGATE

PLANNING APPROVAL FOR 60 ALDGATE

60 Aldgate, our new 25,000 sqm office block, has received approval from the City of London’s Planning & Transportation Committee. The building is part of the next phase of Minories Masterplan, which is delivering major regeneration, economic growth, and attractive new architecture to the Minories and Aldgate area. 

60 Aldgate will close an urban void between the City and Whitechapel, and create a new architectural landmark with a vaulted structure bridging over the London Underground tracks in the basement. 

TABERNACLE NEIGHBOURS

TABERNACLE NEIGHBOURS

We are delighted to welcome Mizu-Iro to 74 Tabernacle Street; a hair and project space to explore the world beyond hairdressing. We would like to work in a building full of friends and family, and we are really happy that Takeshi, Sei and Tomoko have decided to join us on the second floor.

The interior by Ed Crooks was conceived as an adaptable space with blue objects that can both stack to form a large monolith, and scatter to provide over 20 individual elements for storage, seating and showing the salons collection of objects and books. Please check here for appointments and 2021 workshop dates.

THE COLLECTIVE BLACKHORSE LANE

THE COLLECTIVE BLACKHORSE LANE

The Collective Blackhorse Lane, our new 300-room co-living building, has received approval from the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The building will create a new 350 capacity cultural & music space on this important corner in Walthamstow, opposite Blackhorse Road Underground station.

Together with The Collective, we have envisioned a new form of community building centred around a light-filled central space surrounded by shared workspaces, library, gym, living space and communal kitchens, giving every member a space of their own, within a larger collective shared by all. The project is due to complete in 2023.

INSTALLATION OF THE GOLDA-MEIR-STEG

INSTALLATION OF THE GOLDA-MEIR-STEG

The Golda Meir Steg, a new footbridge in the centre of Berlin bridging across the old Berlin Wall, is finally in place. The 200t deck structure was assembled by Streicher in Bavaria, on the banks of the Danube river, throughout September. After a 1,600km barge journey, up the Danube and down the Rhine, traveling over 12 days through 64 locks, the boat carrying the bridge deck finally arrived in Berlin.

The 78m long bridge deck was designed to be impossibly thin. With a thickness of only 20cm, the bridge is held aloft by the steel handrail with a lasercut pattern of interlocking circles. Over the next few months, the new town square will be completed, with a ceremonial opening scheduled for Mid 2021.

STRATFORD PAVILION TIMBER FINS

STRATFORD PAVILION TIMBER FINS

The Stratford Pavilion facade has progressed quickly since the glazing was closed in August. Blumer-Lehmann, the Swiss timber contractor, is installing the 2200 Accoya wood fins of the soffit to a carefully designed setting out schedule to create a sculptural underside for the timber structure.

The Pavilion is due to open in 2021.

WIESBADEN REWE MARKET TOPPING OUT

WIESBADEN REWE MARKET TOPPING OUT

Since 2016, ACME has been working on a REWE Green Building Market. Construction of the prototype in Wiesbaden Erbenheim in Germany commenced in 2019. The timber structure by company Amann has raced to completion over the last 8 weeks, concluding with a socially distanced topping out celebration by the carpenter team this month. 
ACME IN BRENT CROSS TOWN

ACME IN BRENT CROSS TOWN

We are proud to play a part in Brent Cross Town, the regeneration project by Argent Related with Barnet Council. The £5 billion north London project will transform the 180-acre area between the Brent Cross Shopping centre and the train station to create a new town with sustainability, sport and social lives at its heart.

By 2030, it will be a net-zero carbon town, driving down the embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure as well as the carbon used in energy supply – and offsetting the remainder. We look forward to sharing more on our office building at Brent Cross Town.

GOLDA-MEIR-BRIDGE SETS SAIL

GOLDA-MEIR-BRIDGE SETS SAIL

The Golda-Meir Bridge for the Europacity in the centre of Berlin has left the Bavarian factory, and is now on its way to Berlin. Travelling by barge, the bridge has left Harbour of Deggendorf in southern Germany via the Danube river and will cover a distance of 1600km and 64 locks over 12 days. Upon arrival in Berlin, the bridge will be lifted directly from the barge onto the bridge bearings with 800t cranes. Once installed, the 4.5m wide pedestrian and cycle bridge will create a new link between the former East and West Berlin territories, previously separated by the canal and the Berlin Wall. The bridge should appear simple and effortless, spanning 70m with a bridge deck of just 20cm thickness, held aloft by the handrail made from a 20mm steel plate.  Openings in the handrail follow the structural stress distribution, with larger openings placed in the middle of the bridge, fading to smaller openings towards the supports. Coloured lighting is integrated in the handrail to transform the bridge into an orange glowing beacon after dark.

SAB LEIPZIG - ACOUSTIC PANEL

SAB LEIPZIG - ACOUSTIC PANEL

Acoustic absorption and low level lighting are important for a sense of wellbeing and privacy in a workplace. Suspended ceilings are not the answer. As we design more office buildings with raw and exposed concrete and timber soffits, we need elements that can hang below and provide light and silence.
ACME & Bartenbach Lighting have developed a pad with acoustic and lighting properties that can be arranged freely in the space. Covered in a wooly fleece, and with invisibly recessed LED lights, the pad provides high sound absorption and a localized, invisible task light. The first large scape implementation will be at our 25.000sqm office project for SAB in Leipzig, due to open in 2021. The pad will be available commercially from Nimbus here.

SWANSEA BRIDGE ASSEMBLY

SWANSEA BRIDGE ASSEMBLY

The deck for the new Swansea bridge over Oystermouth Road has finally arrived on site. Fabricated by SHS in Yorkshire, who also made our Leicester footbridge, the deck arrived in 4 parts on low loaders, travelling overnight. The as yet missing arch of the bridge  will arrive over the coming days in arch segments.  The deck and arch segments will be welded together in October, ready for installation next year.
The entire bridge has been cut and bent from one continuous thin sheet of steel. The sides of the arch have been laser cut with a swan pattern that will come to life at night as a coloured glowing lantern.
The 49 metre long bridge is a key link for Swansea Central Phase, connecting the city centre to the new Swansea Arena and coastal park and strengthening the connection between the city and the beach.
SWANSEA CHURCH HALL

SWANSEA CHURCH HALL

Planning permission has been granted for St David's Church Hall, with ancillary spaces, a cafe and a new public square.
The building will sit adjacent to St David’s Church, replacing an existing facility that will be demolished as part of the wider Swansea Central development, which includes a 3,500-capacity indoor arena, a new footbridge and a major new park.
The hall has been designed with careful consideration of its relationship to the Grade II listed St David’s Church. This is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Swansea, first established in 1808 and rebuilt by Charles Hansom in 1847.
The building footprint wraps around three trees including a large mature oak, while an articulated roofscape helps break up the massing and keep the roof line below that of the existing Church. The majority of the facade is local Blue Pennant stone and is designed as a contemporary interpretation of the external walls of the existing Church. The roof is traditional slate tile and the use of copper colour aluminium on the elevation pays tribute to the historical role of Swansea in the copper industry.
TABERNACLE WASHBASIN

TABERNACLE WASHBASIN

We are working with an amazing workshop in Java to create new sinks for the Tabernacle Street office bathrooms. In the spirit of the local Shoreditch area, the heart of furniture manufacturing in the 19th century, we have used bookmatched white ebony veneer for the wall cladding of the cubicles.  In collaboration with craftsmen in Indonesia, we have selected a petrified fossil log with matching colours which is being carved and polished to create two freestanding washbasins.

LEIPZIG BANK PROGRESS

LEIPZIG BANK PROGRESS

The shell and core of the new headquarters for the Saxony Development Bank (SAB) in Leipzig is almost complete. 
The majority of the facade has been installed, leaving curved glazed panels and horizontal spandrel panels to be inserted. The straight lines of the concrete roof oversailing the buildings blocks define the street character and accentuate the public route across the site. The construction of the forum and the fit-out have commenced, with an anticipated completion in 2021.

GOLDA-MEIR-STEG, BERLIN

GOLDA-MEIR-STEG, BERLIN

The Golda-Meir Bridge for the Europacity in the centre of Berlin is reaching the final stages of construction. Built in a Bavarian steel factory by the Danube, the seven segments, each weighting 30 tonnes, have been assembled in the Deggendorf harbour, in southern Germany. During August, the segments were welded into one continuous 77m long deck. In September, the completed structure will be painted with 7 layers of anti-corrosion paint and a final layer of anti-graffiti coating, before the 200t heavy structure will be loaded onto a canal barge.  The barge will make the 1600km journey to Berlin via canals and 64 locks over 12 days in October. Once installed, the bridge will create a new link between the former East and West Berlin territories, previously separated by the canal and the Berlin Wall.
SWANSEA ARENA TOPPING OUT

SWANSEA ARENA TOPPING OUT

The steel frame of Swansea Arena has been completed. Works are now progressing inside, with the black precast concrete steps in the auditorium taking shape. Mock-ups for the gold anodised digital facade and the red polished concrete for the foyer floor have been installed for final signoff by the client.
On the other side of the road, the frames for the residential block and the multi-storey car park has also reached its final height, ready for the first facade elements to be installed.

STRATFORD PAVILION FACADE

STRATFORD PAVILION FACADE

The installation of Stratford Timber Pavilion facade is complete. The concave geometry of the gently curving facade helps to create sheltered terraces overlooking the Queen Elizabeth Park. The erection of the timber bleachers and the balustrades are progressing, with the tenant fit-out due to commence shortly for pavilion opening in early 2021.

DEZEEN AWARDS 2020

DEZEEN AWARDS 2020

Bumpers Oast has been longlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2020. The house has been designed as a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Kent oast buildings, used to dry hops. The awards will be announced at the end of October.

ACME AT AIA MIDDLE EAST

ACME AT AIA MIDDLE EAST

ACME has been invited to participate in the AIA Middle East webinar on Wednesday 12th of August at 4 pm BST.
Duarte Lobo Antunes will share ideas about Designing Specific Buildings in a Globalised World. He will present in particular Marsa Plaza in Muscat, Oman, a new public square which plays with the tectonics and graphics of traditional Omani architecture. This project serves a good example to foster the debate addressing contemporary architecture vs. vernacular traditions, interpretation and critical regionalism. This set of questions is at the heart of our work and informs each of our projects.
Register here
MARSA PLAZA SHORTLISTED AT ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR AWARDS

MARSA PLAZA SHORTLISTED AT ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Marsa Plaza, a new public square located in Muscat, Oman, is shortlisted for the Architect of the Year Awards 2020 in the Public Realm category. Looking out to the sea, this square forms a gathering point for the residents and passers-by of Al-Mouj, a new urban quarter stretching along the Gulf of Oman. With large canopies creating shade throughout the day, the design of the plaza pays homage to traditional Omani geometric patterns and vernacular architecture.
ACME WINS PLACE ON SOUTHWARK COUNCIL FRAMEWORK

ACME WINS PLACE ON SOUTHWARK COUNCIL FRAMEWORK

Acme are delighted to be selected to join the Southwark Council framework for the procurement of new offices, retail and industrial projects over £10M. Set up by LHC for Southwark, the four-year framework will be used to procure approximately £10 million-worth of Southwark’s design services within the borough as well as projects with other public sector clients around London. We have worked in Southwark since we won our first major competition in the borough three years ago, and we look forward to build on this success over the next four years.
SWANSEA ARENA CONSTRUCTION

SWANSEA ARENA CONSTRUCTION

Swansea Central has progressed during the spring, with steel assembly teams working safely in pairs, socially distanced. The steel frame of the 3500 capacity multi-purposed arena has risen quickly over the last 6 weeks, revealing the size of the auditorium volume and showing the height of the flytower over the stage. Across the road, the new carpark and residential building is progressing at pace, with the steel topped out and the concrete frame reaching level 2. A new pedestrian bridge is currently being assembled off site, and the abutments and approach ramps on both sides are starting to take shape on each side. The frames for both buildings should be complete in July.

RIBA REGIONAL AWARDS SHORTLIST

RIBA REGIONAL AWARDS SHORTLIST

We are delighted that Bumpers Oast has been shortlisted  for the RIBA South East Regional RIBA Awards 2020.
Bumpers Oast is a 21st century house inspired by the vernacular structures of Kent that were traditionally used to dry hops for beer brewing. Five shingle-clad towers rise up a former apple orchard, creating an extremely low-energy contemporary home.

MELBOURNE COUNCIL HQ

MELBOURNE COUNCIL HQ

The new Council HQ in Melbourne is nearing completion. Our Library for Maroondah Council opened in 2016 on the new Eastland Town Square. Since then, we have worked with QIC on the next phases of the masterplan. 2018 saw the opening of our Sage Hotel, built over the retail and parking structures completed two years earlier. The next phase is the new Council Headquarter in Ringwood/Maroondah, constructed above the David Jones department store.
Maroondah Council needed a new council building that moved them closer to Realm, the new library, and the Council's constituents. The new office building is designed as a lightweight volume floating above the department store, linked with a bridge to the library. Angled timber fins provide shading to the glazed facades and ensure that the building achieves 5 Green Star rating for its highly sustainable features.
The concept design is by ACME for QIC, while Peddle Thorp has been appointed as Executive Architect from the Maroondah Council.
The building is due for completion in June 2020.
SWANSEA ARENA RISING

SWANSEA ARENA RISING

The erection of the steel frame for Swansea’s new 3,500 capacity Arena is gathering pace. Located between the marina and the city centre, the building will form the centrepiece of the Council's city centre regeneration. The assembly of the Arena structure should complete by July 2020 and will reach a height of 24 metres.
The steel frame work is being undertaken in innovative ways, to ensure safe, social distancing measures are adhered to. Each of these measures helps keep numbers down at any one time in any location on site, whilst allowing the work to continue to help protect Swansea’s future. Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart said: “The arena scheme is a transformational regeneration project that’s key to delivering a 21s tCentury Swansea. Once the crisis is over we will all be able to enjoy it."
ACME AUTOPILOT

ACME AUTOPILOT

The ACME London and Berlin offices might look deserted, but are magically alive and well, while everyone is safely at home. We continue to work at full capacity, with staff connecting to their office computers from their living room, balcony and garden.
We have quickly adapted to our regular meetings moving online. Some parts of communication take a bit more effort, some parts are getting a bit easier. We would not have imagined this four weeks ago, but the exchange of information, the sharing of knowledge and a drink together after work can function surprisingly well from home. We are certainly learning new ways of working, and it will change our thinking about work and collaboration long after this virus has passed.
We are grateful for the continuing support from you, our friends, clients and partners as we get through the coming weeks and months, distant in some ways, close in others.
TABERNACLE EXPANSION

TABERNACLE EXPANSION

ACME London is expanding. We moved into Tabernacle Street 5 years ago, occupying the ground and first floor of the building. Our landlord has managed to vacate the other floors over the last few years, and we have signed a new lease to take over the whole five floors of the building.
In mid February, we have started refurbishment works, stripping the floors back, demolishing 1960s toilets and polishing the concrete floors. We intend to use some of the new floors ourselves and invite a number of friends to join us. 
The long-term plan is to create a community building with a flower shop and lunchtime restaurant on the ground floor, a tequila bar and furniture workshop in the basement, hairdresser on the second floor, and a rooftop garden and terrace. While all ACME staff have been working from home over the last weeks, the contractor has worked with a reduced team to finish some of the most noisy and disruptive building works, and we remain on target to finish the works in time for a proper summer party with friends and family, once we're all allowed out again.
SAB LEIPZIG - CONCRETE STAIRS

SAB LEIPZIG - CONCRETE STAIRS

Oval staircases will link the floors at the SAB Bank HQ. The stair design was guided by a desire for lightness and openness. The steps smoothly emerge from a supporting wall, to create the impression that the staircase is floating.  The construction of the staircase was a technical challenge due to the complex shape and the curvature of the soffit. To replicate the geometry, Doka opted to 3d-printing the most complex part of the formwork on the basis of a detailed 3D CAD model developed and provided by ACME. Using Powder Binder Jetting Printers, the elements of the formwork were produced with a gauge of 21mm in thin layers of sand and resin. The precision printed formwork allowed assembly on the site within hours. This was the first time that 3d printing for formwork had been used at scale in a commercial project in Germany. Using this innovative process enabled the construction team to save time and to obtain a smooth and seamless concrete mould and showed ways how complex geometry can be delivered cost effectively on site.
Image credits: DOKA
PLANNING FOR VICTORIA GATE HOTEL IN LEEDS

PLANNING FOR VICTORIA GATE HOTEL IN LEEDS

We are delighted that the Leeds City Council plans panel has approved Hammerson’s plans for the Victoria Gate Hotel.
Located opposite the newly refurbished Leeds Playhouse, the 15-floor hotel will include 205 rooms, a restaurant, bar, conference facilities, and a gym. Hammerson and ACME have worked over the last decade to start the transformation of this part of the city centre, including the opening of Victoria Gate in 2016, creating new links between existing commercial and cultural uses such as the newly refurbished Leeds Playhouse.
The hotel expands the existing Victoria Gate family of buildings with a tower expressed with a dia-grid facade, with windows of varying dimensions arranged to create a pixelated diamond pattern. The tower meets the ground with three-dimensional terracotta tiles while the restaurant will be glass volume to creating a visual connection between the dining space and the playhouse.
COUNCIL HQ CONSTRUCTION IN EASTLAND

COUNCIL HQ CONSTRUCTION IN EASTLAND

Construction has begun in Eastland/ Melbourne for our new office building for Maroondah Council. Sitting above the David Jones department store that we completed in 2016, the new council offices will support Realm, the library and Arts Centre on the town square and allow the council to move more of its core functions closer to the community. The new office building on the podium joins the Sage Hotel that we completed in 2019, and is a further step in QIC's transformation of Eastland Centre into a truly mixed-use development.

SWANSEA BRIDGE UNVEILED

SWANSEA BRIDGE UNVEILED

The final design of Swansea footbridge across Oystermouth Road has been unveiled. The new structure will seamlessly connect the city centre with Swansea Arena and the Marina, and will become a stepping stone to connect to the beach.
The design of the bridge by Ney and Partners and ACME is intended to celebrate the city through the form and appearance of the bridge.
The pattern on the side panels is inspired by an abstracted silhouette of swans, the result of a close collaboration with the Wales-based artist Marc Rees.
The selected colour and lighting acknowledges the historical link Swansea has to the local copper industry and the feature lighting will be timed to be in synch with the digital facade of Swansea Arena.

FOLKESTONE HARBOUR WINS LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE AWARD

FOLKESTONE HARBOUR WINS LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE AWARD

Folkestone Harbour has won the Landscape Institute Awards 2019 for Best Heritage and Culture project.

The Harbour Arm, the Harbour station, the swing bridge and the railway viaduct remained in the town centre following the closure of the line.
ACME and Macfarlane & Associates have used these remnants to create a new pedestrian route utilizing the remaining rail tracks and points, to connect the town centre to the Harbour Arm. 

The shingle beach is the habitat of a number of plants like sea kale, and a team of volunteers have worked over the years to create further community gardens in the harbour station. Plants from these gardens have been incorporated into the planting of the station and harbour viaduct, to create sustainable coastal gardens suited to the harsh coastal environment.
Image courtesy - Macfarlane & Associates
AJ SPECIFICATION AWARDS JUDGING

AJ SPECIFICATION AWARDS JUDGING

Catherine Hennessy will be on the Judges for the AJ Specification Awards for the second year running. The Awards recognise completed projects that successfully combine products with design and fruitful collaborations between architects and product suppliers/manufacturers.
The winners will be announced during the awards ceremony which will be taking place on Wednesday 25th March at FORA, Spitalfields. 
FOLKESTONE SEAFRONT STARTING CONSTRUCTION

FOLKESTONE SEAFRONT STARTING CONSTRUCTION

Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Co. has announced the start of construction of the Seafront development, with the first ACME designed residential building.

ACME’s involvement with the project started in 2016 through an invited competition. The amended masterplan achieved planning consent in 2018, and the first phase of the development received detailed planning consent in 2019, allowing the first plot to progress to construction.

In a playful nod to adjacent Victorian seaside estates, the development creates new urban crescents, articulated with curved bay windows and balconies.  20 town houses comprise the lower front part of the first crescent, rising at both ends to two taller volumes containing 64 apartments and duplexes. Expansive sea views on the beach side are complemented by a raised communal garden on the wind-protected side of the crescent.
ACME AT ARCHITECTS@WORK

ACME AT ARCHITECTS@WORK

Mark Broom from ACME will speak at the Timber Future seminar of Architect@Work London.
The talk, chaired by Chris Foges, editor in chief at Architecture Today, will explore the recent projects of four London practices that are creating new way of working with timber and exploring new construction techniques.
Mark will focus on the use of timber in the currently under construction IQL Pavilion in Stratford at the edge of the Olympic park.
Please join us on the 29th of January at 3.00 pm at the Old Truman Brewery.
HAPPY 2020

HAPPY 2020

Happy 2020 from everyone at ACME.
CANOPY BY HILTON ALDGATE PROGRESSES

CANOPY BY HILTON ALDGATE PROGRESSES

The transformation of a former office building built in the 60s in Aldgate into a Canopy by Hilton  is making good progresses on site. Over the last 11 month, the original concrete frame has been renovated and the new 11 storey wing has topped out, and installation of new facades is completing shortly.
This new envelope of 1,900 aluminium fins and unitised glazing units will cover the old and the new structure to create a new, visually consistent low energy skin.
Large glazing panels run in vertical strips, retaining the rhythm of the original facade and providing most rooms with three windows. Seven vertical fin types have been developed, with differing profiles and a subtle tone difference per side. When viewed obliquely, they will generate the impression of a three-dimensional diagrid pattern. 

ACME AT WAF 2019

ACME AT WAF 2019

ACME are at the World Architecture Festival 2019 from the 4th to the 6th of December in Amsterdam. Friedrich Ludewig will be judging the INSIDE: Display and INSIDE: Hotels categories this year. ACME won the WAF Award for the best Commercial Project with Victoria Gate Leeds in 2017.  
SWANSEA ARENA BREAKING GROUND

SWANSEA ARENA BREAKING GROUND

The first phase of Swansea Central is finally breaking ground.
Over the last four years, Swansea Council and ACME have defined a master plan that will heal some of the gaps in the urban fabric, bring new uses to the city centre,and  re-link the city to the docks and onward to the beach. 
The first parts of the scheme that commenced construction this week are the new Coastal Park and the 3,500-seat Swansea arena, due to open in the summer of 2021.
The arena, coastal park and new bridge will create an incredible stepping stone for future growth, anchoring a new quarter in the city centre that will comprise new green spaces, education, leisure, working and living.
The shape of the arena appears like a fluid arrangement of bifurcating curves, pushed and pulled by the spatial requirements of the accommodation inside. The facade consists of a pleated and perforated aluminium mesh with integrated LEDs across the entire facade to display art, events and performances to the adjacent digital square and the wider city. The bridge to the arena uses a stressed steel skin as its structure to provide a super thin bridge deck and create a unique shadow and light experience when walking across and driving below it.

ACME AT STO WERKSTATT

ACME AT STO WERKSTATT

ACME has been invited to talk at the Sto Werkstatt gallery in London on Thursday 7th of November at 6.30 pm.
Duarte Lobo Antunes will be talking about Designing Specific Buildings in a Globalised World.
How does one design spaces that are both of their places but have universal appeal? How is building in Kent different from designing for Muscat? How is it similar? What does it mean to be local and context-specific in a world that increasingly shares that same references? How can such a diverse studio come together to find a common language?
These are the questions that drive ACME’s thinking and designs on a daily basis and will be addressed during the evening’s talk.

Please RSVP here
PRIX VERSAILLES

PRIX VERSAILLES

Our Eastland Town Centre in Melbourne has won the 2019 Prix Versailles for the Best Shopping mall in the Asia region. The jury included David Adjaye and  Kazuyo Sejima as part of the architectural panel as well as the fashion designer Iris Van Herpen.
For Eastland, ACME have designed a family of five buildings surrounding new public square at the heart of Maroondah, including a Realm Library Building, a David Jones Department Store, and the shard at its centre, all of which were completed in 2017. The Prix Versailles was handed over in the global awards ceremony at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

IQL PAVILION CONSTRUCTION

IQL PAVILION CONSTRUCTION

The construction of the timber pavilion located in the International Quarter London is making rapid progress. Foundation and ground works were completed in July, allowing the assembly of the timber frame to start. The completion of the structure is expected in September. The pavilion sits over the DLR tunnel, imposing severe restrictions on weights, which helped to make the case for a timber frame of glulam with CLT walls and slabs. The timber allows for reduction of on-site assembly, lower operational and embodied carbon, a better internal environment and it looks better. In total, the Pavilion will include around 34 m³ of timber sourced from FSC certified forests.
HOTEL IN LEEDS VICTORIA REVEALED

HOTEL IN LEEDS VICTORIA REVEALED

In the first phase of Leeds Victoria, ACME completed the award-winning John Lewis department store, arcade and car park. Since 2017, we are working on the second phase of Eastgate Quarters, to create a mixed-use quarter of residential, office, culture and leisure uses on the remainder of the site. The first part will be a 205 room hotel, a visual bookend for the scheme at the eastern edge, replacing a temporary surface car park. Located opposite the playhouse, the 14 floor hotel will create a townscape marker and delineate the bank of the Lady Beck, a culverted river that runs through the site.
The hotel fenestration is designed to a pattern visually related to the neighbouring buildings of Victoria Leeds. Each room with have multiple windows, dissolving the scale of the building into a more abstract sculpture, and allowing for the emergence of a diagrid pattern when seen from afar. 
Following discussions with the Leeds Plans Panel and public consultation in September, a planning submission for this next stage of Eastgate Quarters is expected in October, with a possible commencement on site in 2020.

CASTLE SQUARE SWANSEA

CASTLE SQUARE SWANSEA

We are delighted that ACME has been appointed to redesign Swansea's Castle Square.
The central public space of Swansea has an interesting topography, bridging a level difference of 4m, and has served as the main square of the city for 70 years.
Originally designed as a garden, the space has evolved into a very hard urban space with very little civic use.
We look forward to work with the Swansea City Council team to explore new directions for this space to strengthen the regeneration of the High Street and the wider city centre. 

ACME CYCLING TO BRIGHTON FOR BHF

ACME CYCLING TO BRIGHTON FOR BHF

On the 16th of June, the 10 rider strong ACME peloton will participate again in the London to Brighton bike ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation.
This year will see the team debut the newly designed ACME cycling jerseys.
As in previous years, we are raising money to support the British Heart Foundation undertaking pioneering research into many different heart conditions, their diagnosis and treatments.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/acmelondontobrighton2019

ACME STUDIO LATES

ACME STUDIO LATES

ACME will open the doors of its studio in Shoreditch on the 21st of June as part of the Studio Lates series.
During your visit you will also have the chance to see ACME's projects, both past and present, through physical models, 3d printed maquettes and our virtual reality headset.
Located in an old warehouse in Shoreditch that we refurbished ourselves, you are welcome to join us for a drink, meet the team and explore our work space - including our sculptural staircase and Yayoi Kusama inspired toilette.  
We would love to see you  from 5pm at our office in 76 Tabernacle Street EC2A 4EA.
Registration at the link below.
Eventbrite
2019 RIBA HAMPSHIRE LECTURE

2019 RIBA HAMPSHIRE LECTURE

ACME has been invited by the RIBA Hampshire to speak as part of the 2019 Lecture series on Wednesday the 22nd of May. Friedrich Ludewig will present some of ACME’s new projects in Folkestone Harbour & Southampton as well as the recently completed Bumpers Hall in Kent.
We would love to see you at 6 pm at the Winchester Discovery Centre in Winchester.
Registration at the link below.
Eventbrite

SAB BANK TOPPING OUT

SAB BANK TOPPING OUT

The concrete frame of the SAB Neubau Leipzig has been completed. Construction started in 2017 and after extensive basement retaining works, the 5 Storey structure is now 21m high. Along the perimeter, slender, 21m tall, spun-concrete columns were craned into position before the slab was cast. The concept of the perimeter columns is that they will evolve into a forest of columns to define a forum facing the historic city centre. Completion of the project is expected in 2020. 

FOLKESTONE VIADUCT LIFT PROGRESS

FOLKESTONE VIADUCT LIFT PROGRESS

The final element of the Folkestone Harbour viaduct is nearing completion. In 2017 the viaduct across the harbour opened to the public, creating a new public promenade to the renovated Harbour station platforms and the Harbour Arm. The new lift and staircase will provide access to the viaduct from Harbour Square. Matching the neighbouring harbour sheds, the lift is clad in dark waney-edge timber larch boarding.

IQL PAVILION BREAKING GROUND

IQL PAVILION BREAKING GROUND

The IQL Pavilion in Stratford has started on site. The groundbreaking on the 19th of March marks the official start of construction for the 1,000 sqm pavilion in the International Quarter London (IQL) in Stratford. The building will house a visitor centre with a café, restaurants over two floors and a public rooftop terrace with amazing views over the footbridge towards the London Aquatics Centre, Queen Elizabeth Park and the London Stadium.

ACME AT AJ SUMMIT

ACME AT AJ SUMMIT

The AJ Summit on the 4th of April will explore the relationship between architects and clients. Friedrich Ludewig from ACME and Robin Dobson from Hammerson will speak in the afternoon about their collaboration in Leicester, Leeds and Southampton, and explore how architects and clients can jointly manage design and procurement, opportunities, and risks.

ALDGATE QUARTER COMMENDED AT AR FUTURE PROJECTS

ALDGATE QUARTER COMMENDED AT AR FUTURE PROJECTS

Aldgate Quarter in the City of London has been commended in the Mixed-use category at the AR Future project awards 2019 at Mipim Cannes.
The project for 4C Hotels and The Guinness Partnership regenerates the site currently occupied by the 194 unit Mansell Street Estate and two abandoned office buildings.
As part of the comprehensive regeneration of the entire site, one existing concrete frame is converted into a new 360 room Canopy by Hilton Hotel, complemented by 212 new affordable and 320 private residential units, and a 30.000 sqm office building on Aldgate High Street.
The first two buildings are under construction at present, with an expected completion of last phase by 2025. 
ENLARGED EC3 MINORIES OFFICE BUILDING

ENLARGED EC3 MINORIES OFFICE BUILDING

Following the successful planning consent in 2014 for an office building in the City of London, we have worked with the client and London Underground to improve the project, developing a larger building sitting above the Metropolitan Line tunnels, and to rebuild the local pub as part of the scheme.
The Still and Star is an historic pub on site, which has lost all internal features over the years, and ultimately closed some time ago. We have worked with a number of stakeholders to rebuild it in a slightly better location on the site, with a frontage onto Aldgate High Street, and with proper service access.
The Still and Star started as a gin distillery in the 1730s, and we are committed to create a new micro-gin-distillery, with herb farming in the building, to resurrect the original vocation.The new pub will be formed from green pigmented concrete, preserving an imprint of the existing pub.
The office building is a state of the art 38.000sqm steel structure, with a ground level foyer and arcade made in iron oxide concrete to span over the underground tunnels below. The structure is our third Minories Building for 4C Hotels, sitting alongside the 342 rooms Canopy by Hilton hotel and a residential tower, which are both under construction and due to complete in 2020.
WORLD FIRST METALLIC TERRACOTTA INSTALLE

WORLD FIRST METALLIC TERRACOTTA INSTALLE

For the last 5 years, ACME has worked on a metallic glazed terracotta that can be used in external facades. Glazed terracotta has been produced for millennia, but metallic glaze usually oxidises in external environments, quickly turning black.
Following extensive development and testing work with Teamwork Italy with NBK, the tiles are finally ready for installation in Leeds. The design of the John Lewis store in Leeds was inspired by the textile history of Leeds. The concrete diagrid frames the glazed windows and the terracotta panels are used where no windows could be located.
Each of the four hexagonal Terracotta panels is installed in 6 rotated positions, thereby creating the illusion of an infinitely changing field without clear repetition. Installation should complete in March 2019.
ACME AT SURFACE DESIGN SHOW

ACME AT SURFACE DESIGN SHOW

Catherine Hennessy from ACME and Alex Patrick-Smith from Ketley Brick  will speak jointly at the Surface Design Show in London. Their talk Victoria Gate: Contemporary Brick Facades, will explore how the collaboration between architect and supplier has shaped a complex three-dimensional pleated elevation, creating a multitude of shadows, patterns and warm shades across the building.
Please join us on the 7th of February at 3.45 pm at the Business Design Centre.
MINORIES RESIDENTIAL

MINORIES RESIDENTIAL

The concrete frame of Minories residential building has finally reached topping out. The 16th floor of the building was poured in the second week of January. Eleven levels of precast stairs have been installed on site with the rest to follow in the next two weeks. Scaffolding will rise from February with the facade scheduled to commence installation in  May 2019.
The forward and backward stepping of the concrete frame allows for the maximum in development area while minimising overlooking and overshadowing of adjacent spaces.

ACME AT ARCHITECT@WORK

ACME AT ARCHITECT@WORK

Stefano Dal Piva from ACME will talk at the seminar Brave New World during the event Architect@Work London.
The talk, chaired by Helen Parton, will explore the work of design and architecture practices that are creating the places and spaces of the future, inspiring the next generation.
Stefano Dal Piva will present a selection of ACME’s projects have been shaped by upcoming innovations and evolving trends.
Please join us on the 31st of January at 5.30 pm at the Old Truman Brewery.
FOLKESTONE PLOT B GOES AHEAD

FOLKESTONE PLOT B GOES AHEAD

Folkestone and Hythe Council planning committee voted in favour of a motion to grant ACME's reserved matters application for Plot B, a sub-phase of Phase 1, part of the consented mixed-use development in Folkestone seafront and harbour.
Plot B buildings will include 60 apartments ranging from 1 to 4 beds and a lower, sea-facing volume made up of 24 townhouses and duplexes. A communal garden on the podium roof will be directly accessible from the private gardens and from the bookend cores. The podium will house car and cycle parking, private storage units and communal plant space.
The main facade will be clad with crushed recycled glass aggregates, a contemporary take on the robust pebble dash finish, that will give the building a reflective quality in the changing light.