Located diagonally opposite of the City of London’s Guildhall entrance at the corner of Milk Street and Gresham Street, 20 Gresham Street marks a significant transformation in the redevelopment of the area.
The building’s vertical roof façade extends along Gresham Street at ground and first floor levels, forming the entrance lobby façade. Two revolving doors mark the transition from a bustling city street into a quiet interior environment. The doors are placed on the apex of the corner to introduce a degree of solidity, framing the view into the entrance and revealing back-painted burgundy colored glass panels that are repeated on the journey through the building. Inside, a double-height cathedral-like entrance space is lined with a sculpted travertine wall and a monumental reception desk, creating an environment that is more reminiscent of an art gallery than an office lobby.
An atrium is located behind the central core and extends from the third floor to the roof. Its balconies animate the area, and its base can be occupied as office space. External pre-cast composite columns form part of the external elevation. Upon entering the first and second floors, the benefits of these forms are evident. 30,000-square-foot floor plates have only seven internal columns and 18-meter spans, accentuating the sense of unimpeded space and allowing for flexible floor plates to support multi-tenancy occupation.
