Angel Square reinvents a prominent corner site in Islington, North London, through a transformative six-storey refurbishment of a 1980s postmodern office building.
BREEAM Outstanding – Anticipated
WELL Platinum – Anticipated
The mixed-use development introduces new active frontages and integrates with an existing underground station, all while preserving the original concrete structure. Our work involves revitalising the facade, engineering a terracotta rainscreen cladding as well as redesigning the floor layouts for better efficiency. This project will significantly improve work and amenity spaces and enhance the public area around the building.
As the building sits above Angel Tube station, we have collaborated closely with structural engineers to address the structural loading constraints and define the new facade system. Our design features large glazing in a 3m wide module, with terracotta cladding, fluted aluminium panels and glass reinforced concrete (GRC) piers in front of the columns. The lightweight unitised system (LUL) limited the overall facade load on the existing structure over the LUL.
Natural ventilation is provided through opening vents, allowing greater user control as part of a low-energy strategy. The terracotta and GRC elements have fluted and textured patterns, with earthy tones that complement the stone facade of the adjacent listed building.
The tight construction schedule has led us to adopt a unitised curtain wall approach. We have achieved stringent U-values and tracked embodied carbon throughout the design development, identifying and implementing design and procurement opportunities as appropriate. The proposal provides over 290,000 sq ft (GIA) of space with a varied mix of uses including significant best-in-class employment space and affordable workspace providing exemplary, flexible working environments with low operational energy demands and suitable for a variety of tenant sizes.
