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Central St. Giles Court Mixed-use Development

London / United Kingdom

Situated between Covent Garden and New Oxford Street in central London, the Central St Giles development replaces a massive, unloved, impenetrable block of former government offices, with a permeable, vibrant, sculptural mix of volumes containing offices, apartments, restaurants and retail. Central St Giles fits well with its urban context, responding to the shapes and colours that surround it.

A close up of a colorful building with a lot of windows
© RPBW, ph. Maurits Van der Staay
 

Responding to context through scale, materials, and colour

 
 

Surrounded by conservation areas (although not one itself), it was essential that this sizeable new development fitted into the scale and streetscape of this old area of central London. Breaking up the solid island site into a series of volumes, respecting surrounding building heights and creating access onto and through the development were just some of the ways this was done.Glass, steel and ceramic are the principal materials used in its construction.

The 22 brightly coloured facades, made of 121,000 glazed ceramic tiles, are perhaps the most striking feature of the project. Ceramic sections in yellow, red, orange or lime green alternate with recessed glazed facades to fragment each building’s overall mass. Roof terraces and the buildings’ irregular shapes add to the impression of a collection of smaller buildings side by side, echoing the variety of building styles found locally.

 
An aerial view of a city with a lot of buildings and trees
© RPBW
A large building with a lot of windows and a tree in front of it
© Michel Denancé
Contrary to prevalent trends, we promoted the idea that a permeable block was more relevant to the mixed use program and critical to transforming the site into a vibrant place for people. Central Saint Giles is a prototype for dense, mixed-use, and environmentally performant, mid rise urban redevelopments.
An aerial view of a large colorful building in the middle of a city
© Michel Denancé
A group of colorful buildings are sitting next to each other on a city street
© Michel Denancé

A permeable project that is accessible and open to the city

 

The two buildings, one residential and one for offices, surround a new public courtyard, the heart of the Central St Giles project. Here, around a big oak tree, restaurants and cafes spill out into the open and animate the space. Pedestrian access onto the island site is encouraged via five passageways, creating a number of new linking through-routes.The ground-floor restaurant units are conceived to be as transparent as possible. Fully glazed in low-iron glass, the 6m high facades give views into the courtyard and through the development, particularly from St Giles High Street, emphasising the permeability of the site.

 
a drawing of a building with a lot of windows
© RPBW
A green building is next to an orange building
© Hufton and Crow Architectural Photography / Legal &General with Mitsubishi Estate Corporation
A drawing of a building with a man standing in front of it
© RPBW
A building with a lot of glass on it
© Michel Denancé
 

Innovative programming and environmental performance

 

The complex includes 8400 sq m of residential space: 56 private apartments and 53 affordable housing units occupy a 14-storey building on the western edge of the site.

The 38,000 sq. m of office space is divided into ten floors, each with a generous 2.9m ceiling height. The offices also benefit from a roof terrace on floors seven to ten where rainwater is collected and stored for irrigation.

Central St Giles scored an “Excellent” BREEAM rating for sustainability: 80% of heating is from a Biomass boiler, rainwater is collected and reused, and the planted roof terraces add to local biodiversity.

A black and white drawing of a building with a tree in the middle
© RPBW
A large building with a lot of windows and a tree in front of it
© Michel Denancé
A group of people are walking down a sidewalk in front of a row of buildings
© Michel Denancé

Project Details

Status

2002 - 2010

Client

Legal & General with Mitsubishi Estate Corporation Stanhope PLC

Design

Renzo Piano Building Workshop, architectsin collaboration with Fletcher Priest Architects (London)

Design Team

J.Moolhuijzen, M.van der Staay (partner and associate in charge), N.Mecattaf (associate) with L.Battaglia, S.Becchi, A.Belvedere, G.Carravieri, E.Chen, D.Colas, P.Colonna, W.Matthews, G.Mezzanotte, S.Mikou, Ph.Molter, Y.Pagès, M.Pare, L.Piazza, M.Reale, J.Rousseau, S.Singer Bayrle, R.Stampton and M.Aloisini, R.Biavati, M.Pierce, L.Voiland; O.Auber, C.Colson, Y.Kyrkos (models)

Consultants

Arup (structure and services); Davis Langdon (cost consultant); Bovis Lend Lease (pre-construction advice); Emmer Pfenninger & Partners (façades); P.Castiglioni / G.Bianchi (lighting); PRP (fit-out for affordable residential); Charles Funke Associates (landscaping)

Environmental Certifications

BREEAM Excellent (2022)

Awards

Best of the Best Category and National Award for Best Commercial Workspace at The British Council For Offices (BCO) Awards (2011)
2014 Institute for Transportation and Development Policy TOD Gold Standard