25 Year Award, Exchange House - London, Great Britain. - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

This is truly a wow building, as it appears to hover 20 feet above the plaza below, appearing to balance on a central rotunda. As you look at it you wonder is it a bridge with a building on it, are the arches real or just for show? answers below.

The Architect Magazine, The journal of the American institute of architects, carried the following story:

Twenty-Five Year Award: Broadgate Exchange House

"Located in London’s Broadgate Development, the ten-story office building designed and engineered by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill spans over the tracks of London’s Liverpool Street Station. The jury recognized the hybrid building and bridge site for its holistic approach encompassing architecture, engineering, and master planning." Text Source: (visit link)

"The building is suspended over the rail lines below via four, seven-story tied arches that bridge 78m (256ft). Only 5% of its footprint touches the ground. The centrally located lift core, fire stairs, and even the lobby are suspended from this bridge structure, touching the plaza beneath it out of necessity for access rather than support." Text Source: (visit link)

"like much of Broadgate, Exchange Square and the surrounding buildings are located above the busy tracks leading to Liverpool Street Station, leaving little room for traditional foundations. Undeterred, the Broadgate team worked with British Rail to construct a permanent raft over the area, at the same time as converting the station platforms into giant foundation piers.

An instant classic, Exchange House is erected on arches that use bridge-building technology to distribute weight on to the piers. Steel arches also span two sides of the building. Seemingly decorative, these actually support the weight of much of the structure – form follows function. With its unique engineering and dramatic appearance, Exchange House was named Best Commercial Building by the British Council for Offices, won a European Award for Steel Structures and collected a Progressive Architecture Award for Innovation." Text Source: (visit link)

"Exchange House is arguably one of the finest buildings in the Broadgate development, towering over the railway tracks above Liverpool Street Station and Exchange Square. Built in 1990 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the ten-storey office building is effectively an inhabited bridge, with a frame supported on a primary structure of four parabolic segmented tiered arches." Text Source: (visit link)

Type of publication: Magazine When was the article reported?: 05/15/2015 Publication: The Architects Magazine Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: international News Category: Business/Finance

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