PUBLIC SPACE Under the Shaft
Throughout the City, many types of arcades create a distance from the street at ground level, while providing shelter from the London climate, which might ocassionally be slightly chilly. In One Undershaft, a tall arcade runs all the way along the eastern side of the building. Firstly, this creates a new, triangular public space to the east of the building. It also provides a canopy on top of the building entrance to shelter pedestrians from the typical downdrafts created by the tower. Thirdly, it provides a visual path when walking north towards the building entrance of the hidden medieval church to the north, St Helen’s Bishopsgate. Even though it is one of the oldest remaining churches in the City, it is obscured by the tall surrounding buildings. By providing this open passage, new views are created to lead pedestrians to this calm spot in the city fabric. On the south side of the building, another volume is removed from the building to create an outdoor room parallel to the covered area of 122 Leadenhall. The terrace provided on this side of the building is sunlit thanks to its southern orientation and high ceiling and is linked to the square to the south of it. Together with the public space under the Leadenhall Building, one large public square is articulated. Both One Undershaft and the Leadenhall Building create views on another important church at the site, St Andrew Undershaft. The north side of the building provides a public access to the lobby which leads to the top of the building. The eastern and southern orientation of the building’s main passages and public facilities are the result of the main pedestrian flows which pass along Leadenhall Street and St Mary Axe. The new squares at the east and south side offer some new types of public space in the sequence of public spaces shown in the scheme later on. Together, these public spaces offer a diverse range of public spaces, mainly connected by car-free passages. The west side of the building is used for services, and follows the organization of the other new skyscrapers which are all facing their service entrances towards this square in the middle of the building block. Deliveries can be made here without hindering the public space at the other sides of the building.
Public space at south side of site extends Leadenhall Building’s space
Reduce footprint to create south-oriented terrace
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Create arcade as passage and to create views on St Helen Bishopsgate