Urbanest Westminster Bridge, London



Architect
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Date Built
Completed 2015
Location
203 Westminster Bridge Road
Description
This mixed-use building on Westminster Bridge Road replaced a redundant 1960s office block.  In its place Allford Hall Monaghan Morris designed a building that accommodates, "... 1,100 student rooms (including double-height studios on the uppermost floors) with associated common spaces, a sixth-form college for 700 students spread over four floors, affordable workspace at ground and a health suite with swimming pool and leisure facilities on the lower level."



The architects explain the design as a "... stacked rhythm of solid bands and linear apertures accentuate the given curve of the site, at once disguising the volume of windows and maximising panoramic views of the London skyline. The bands are grouped in a triple-storey order that suggests the scale of the different programmes and then turned like Ray Eames’ Walnut Stool to create a subtle silhouette. Externally, the building’s height and massing are sensitively crafted according to statutorily protected views. Internally, the upper floors have been configured to reduce actual and perceived corridor length, while a central atrium on the lower levels brings light into the college and crowns a generous social space."