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A sculptural feature - the geometry, materiality and visual effects of the stairs for One New Change are an interpretation and transformation of the finishes used for the existing building.
LOCATION: London, UK
CLIENT: LandSecurities
DATE: 2013–2015
STATUS: Completed
SIZE: 100m2
ACME: Duarte Lobo Antunes, Friedrich Ludewig, Lucy Moroney, Iria de la Peña, David Rieser
CONSULTANTS
AKTII
One New Change is one of the oldest streets of the City of London, leading from St. Paul’s Cathedral to London Bridge. It is the historic location of the medieval high street and market. Designed by Jean Nouvel and opened in 2010, One New Change is a major office and retail development at the corner facing St. Paul’s Cathedral that seeks to bring leisure and retail uses back to the banking quarter of the City
The stair at One New Change is intended to be a sculptural feature in the public space facing St. Paul’s, and to drastically improve the pedestrian circulation between the lower, public levels of the project.
The curved glass balustrade is treated with a fading mirror frit, transitioning from fully mirrored to fully transparent, giving the illusion of people floating down the stair. The soffit of the stair is made from 3-dimensionally curved mirror polished stainless steel, creating a warped perspective of its form that seems to disappear. In order to use the rain cover created by the new stair, the handrail has been designed to extend beyond the stair and turn into a bench, creating sheltered seating and a new meeting point. Special attention was paid to preserve continuous lines and surfaces, in order to make the staircase merge smoothly, effortlessly, harmoniously with the context.
