Sense of Place and Scale

There is a case for conservation, adaptive re-use and rehabilitation of old buildings, as oppose to trying to create new buildings that tries to capture the traits of the old.

Two examples are given here. Angel Square Office and Shad Thames. The selection is random, but I believe I could make my point just as well with these two examples.

Angel Square Offices (late 80s)

The above is the Angel Square Office, which is basically a speculative five storey office building divided into four blocks, with an inner courtyard area that people can pass through. The photo above illustrates the change of levels made by the higher street level from one end of the entrance, where at the bottom of the steps, you would notice, a curious Aldo Rossi -like folly in the corner of the courtyard that denotes the entrance to one of the blocks of offices. (We were into Neo-Rationalism and Rossi was often the favourite in the 80s).

I was involved in the design of this building as a year out student at Rock Townsend in 1987-88. I knew the intention of why we designed it as such, and much of the style of the building was imposed upon us by the Islington City Council, who insisted on breaking up the massive office block look and make it sympathise with the character of Islington High Street, that is more humane and smaller in scale.

Angel Square facing Islington High Street
Originally uploaded by Naziaty

Here is a prime example of trying to make an office block feel 'older' and humane, but of course, the commercial interest and cost-cutting objectives are of paramount importance to the developer. We tried to recreate the feel of Victorian Gothic revivalism by using bands of stone and bricks of different colours and texture, complete with recesses, corbelling, extended embellishments and the like.

We also need to consider that Angel Square Offices face a busy thoroughfare compared to the back streets of Shad Thames and the idea of a grand building was at the back of the designer's mind.


Shad Thames Redevelopment (late 90s to early 00s)

Comparing Angel Square to the redevelopment projects of Shad Thames near the Design Museum, where old buildings were rehabilitated and adapted to a new different use, often shops and offices, and completed with touches of the contemporary style. The spiral staircase (possibly new) depicted in the photo above created some focus by enhancing the existing features, and the Sense of Scale is arguably achieved at a fraction of the price of what we had to do earlier at Angel Square.

I have not done enough research on Shad Thames but I am using these photos to illustrate and compare the Sense of Place and Scale that is evident in these two examples.

Facing River Thames, Shad Thames warehouse buildings were adapted and re-used, while the boardwalk enhanced, and fancy restaurants face the river. Certainly, Shad Thames of the old where the ships docked and prepared on the arduous journeys to the East, and where mariners and sailors cavorted with prostitutes, now is gentrified as chic London.

Has the Sense of Place cease to be? Even so, the Sense of Scale is still very much there, I believe.

Butler's Wharf at Shad Thames
Originally uploaded by Naziaty