Lightning Park for Premier Property Group by Michael Laird Architects
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Images by Paul Zanre of South Gyle offices:
EHQ
2005-07
Michael Laird Architects
Photographs © Paul Zanre
EHQ – Office building for Premier Property Group
New office development, 6 South Gyle Crescent, South Gyle, Edinburgh
Bold expressed metal ‘picture frames’ interrupt a rhythm of clear glazing and coloured Alucabond panels. The picture frames are located asymmetrically across the facades denoting entrances at ground level and identifying office suites on upper floors. The random pattern of vertical glazing fins and colour enlivens the façade.
Photographs © Paul Zanre
This is the third office building designed by MLA for the Premier Property Group, including the award-winning Excel House in Semple Street, Edinburgh.
photographs © Jason Baxter
This speculative office development is located near Edinburgh Park on the western edge of Edinburgh. It involved the demolition of all buildings on the former BAe Systems site and now forms the gateway to the South Gyle business district from Edinburgh city centre.
The £13m building includes 10,200 sqm of office space over three floors, arranged around a central courtyard to provide open plan office accommodation in nominal widths of 14 and 24 metres.
The external facade consists of curtain walling with elements of rainscreen cladding around core areas. The regular mullion grid is broken with randomly located intermediate mullions that modulate the rhythm of glazing across the facade. The glazing rhythm is also staggered between floors and punctuated with coloured Alucabond panels, glazed into the curtain walling system. The slender mullion face caps are split between floors to give a light feel to the facade.
photographs © Jason Baxter
The new building is Phase One of a larger masterplan drawn up by MLA for the entire site.
Recent buildings by Michael Laird Architects on South Gyle Crescent – Building 38 and the BCO-award winning Gyle Square – have gone a long way to enhance the area, moving it away from predominantly industrial to a recognised office location. Central to the development of the EHQ site was the intention to make a vibrant addition at the eastern gateway to the city.
The building was completed October 2007. It went on site in May 2006
A single subcontractor constructed the complex facade: there were no interfaces with other work packages leading to economy, efficiency and speed of construction.
The Lightning Park proposal now involves complete demolition of the original building
Lightning Park Edinburgh - Building PR from 2005:
CGIs by pixelimage
Introduction
Office Redevelopment, 6 South Gyle Crescent, South Gyle, Edinburgh
The redevelopment of the BAe Systems site by Premier Property Group on the western edge of Edinburgh involves demolition of all buildings, except the two-storey office block facing the roundabout. The Lightning Park proposal involves partial demolition of this building: structure and floor slabs will be retained with a floor added on top and moderate expansion on three sides.
A new three-storey 10,200 sqm office building is to be built incorporating the retained two-storey superstructure. The new building will be arranged around a central courtyard to provide open plan office accommodation in nominal widths of 14 and 24 metres.
As the new three-storey office building is intended to form Phase One of an overall development of the site this document also provides a proposed masterplan for the entire site. This masterplan is intended to help fully explain the design rationale of the new office building and wider site.
Central to the development of the site is the intention to create a high quality environment that will make a vibrant, exciting and relevant addition to the surrounding area.
Other buildings by Michael Laird Architects for Premier Property Group include Excel House and Semple St Offices.
EHQ
Michael Laird Architects
EHQ, South Gyle : Professional Team
Developer: Premier Property Group
Architect: Michael Laird Architects
Project Manager: Cyril Sweett Ltd
Structural Engineer: PWP Consulting LLP
M&E Engineer: Graham Mather Associates
Quantity Surveyor: CBA
Transport Consultant: Colin Buchanan and Partners
Landscape Architect: EDAW plc
CGI by pixelimage
Adjacent buildings include One Gyle Square also by Michael Laird Architects.
BAe buildings also featured on the site: BAE Building, Crewe Toll, Edinburgh.
The Lightning Park offices are on the eastern edge of the Edinburgh Park business area.
Scottish Architecture
Other Edinburgh offices by Michael Laird Architects include Tanfield, Standard Life George Street, Edinburgh Quay, Lochrin Square and Premier Property Group on Semple St
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South Gyle Building - page: adrian welch / isabelle lomholt