June 23, 2020

PLP Architecture is designing an innovative new smart headquarters for Yandex, the global technology leader, in the Gagarinsky District of Moscow. The inclusive, 170,000m2 campus will enable staff to have a healthy and sustainable place for seamless work and recreation, a space for inspiration and fun that will integrate technology with materiality to inspire new ideas and refined ways of working. The campus will be a striking yet sensitive addition to the city’s skyline, sitting on a prominent site near the Moskva River a short distance from the some of the city’s leading research institutions and the location of the company’s first office.

The sculptural, titanium-clad building will respect its sensitive context and connect to nearby parkland. Its adaptable design will bring a distinct new ambition to the tech campus, accommodating employees under one roof for the first time in a secure, interactive, collaborative environment that celebrates the company’s identity, technological innovation and collaborative achievements and aspirations.

The building will be lifted up to reveal a welcoming, activated ground floor that will step up across the site to connect a large, open plaza and green spaces on one side with neighbouring streets on the other. It will present a welcoming face for the company and feature a variety of open public spaces, including restaurants, cafes and the Yandex Museum, highlighting the company’s cultural and technological growth since the early 1990s. The main reception areas will sit on a mezzanine level to increase permeability and pedestrian access through the building.

At its heart, an open and light-filled central Hub will house collaborative zones, gadget testing areas, indoor green space and additional flexible spaces to encourage interaction and exchange. This will be cradled along three sides by long workspace wings that partially contain it, which in turn will be connected to the Hub by a series of bridges and open staircases. These wings will be nestled below sloping titanium roofs and house a variety of departmental workspaces with high ceilings and pockets of double-height space. Arranged laterally around elongated cores, they will be interspersed with shared amenity spaces to accommodate casual digital and physical exercise when needed throughout the day.

Along the perimeter, a series of double-height spaces will connect floors to help break down vertical boundaries and foster creativity through collaborative interaction and engagement. To supplement this, a sports centre with basketball and squash courts, a gymnasium and a large swimming pool will be coupled with additional wellbeing initiatives, such as spas, treatment rooms and saunas. Demolition of an existing hotel on the site will begin later this year, with construction following on from local authority approvals.

February 25, 2020

PLP Architecture is working with Native Land to create Bankside Yards, a vibrant new destination on London’s riverside between the Tate Modern and Southbank Centre.

Last night, Bankside Yards, Eastern Yards received full planning consent. It is comprised of 5 towers housing 341 residential units (with 37 affordable homes), a luxury hotel, office and cultural amenities along with a series of public spaces.

The full £1bn development will open up and will reinvigorate a 1.4m ft2 area focussed on the historic railway viaduct leading towards Blackfriars Station. Construction is underway on Western Yards, with completion expected in 2023.

February 20, 2020

The Fair Cities Platform has been officially launched at a kick-off event, attended by guests from a wide range of industries and backgrounds and organised jointly by the Fair Cities Platform steering group, which is comprised of PLP Labs, Connected Places Catapult and Gehl.

During the panel discussion, speakers were asked to share their expertise and consider new possibilities for some of the most pressing problems affecting our cities. The conversation covered topics such as the role of developers and public authorities in shaping who the city is for, as well as issues of unfair taxation, land ownership and value, access to quality housing and urban spaces, and potential ways of measuring fairness.

The Fair Cities Platform aims to create a space where conversations about conceiving, delivering, operating and managing fair cities can take place. It establishes an honest dialogue between communities, developers, action groups, investors, local authorities and architects. Through inclusive discussion, working groups and knowledge sharing, our industry can plug the gaps in knowledge and policy to overcome the hurdles that obstruct positive change in our cities.

The panel of experts was moderated by Connected Places Catapult’s Justin Kliger and included Dr Shira de Bourbon Parme (ForeGrounds), Matt Bell (Grosvenor) and Michael Edwards (UCL’s Bartlett School of Planning).

January 07, 2020

The Collective Stratford has received a resolution to grant planning permission from the London Legacy Development Corporation. The 22-storey scheme will feature short-stay co-living rooms, a community and events hub as well as affordable workspace for small businesses and local entrepreneurs. Plans for The Collective Stratford High Street were developed following extensive engagement with local businesses and community organisations to ensure the scheme meets their needs and is well integrated into the local area.

The Collective Stratford High Street will comprise 287 short-stay co-living rooms along with shared amenities and community space for local residents, charities and business and an art hub to showcase local talent and host a variety of weekly cultural events. Small businesses and local entrepreneurs will have access to office space including flexible and affordable co-working space.

The project will also include improvements to the adjacent Channelsea River, connecting it to the High Street via a landscaped forecourt.

The building is central to the Collective’s Community Investment Programme involving partnerships with local groups and charities to increase their outreach and social impact.  James Penfold, global planning and communications director at The Collective, said: ’We’ve spent a lot of time in active dialogue with the community and as a direct result we’re proud to launch our Community Investment Programme, which will identify, fund and provide free use of our spaces for local charitable and creative enterprises. This is just one of the ways we endeavour to effect a long-term positive impact in every community we enter.’

Andrei Martin, partner at PLP Architecture, added: ’Our design for The Collective Stratford laminates work, cultural, social and accommodation spaces within a hybrid typology. Complementary uses and collaborative spaces supplement a compact arrangement of private living quarters so that working, living, creating, exchanging, socialising and entertaining all occur within a formal arrangement that operates more as a vertical neighbourhood than an individual building.’

Construction is due to start at the end of the year and to complete in 2023.

December 19, 2019

PLP Architecture and the developer Provast have won a major international competition for a new tower on a key redevelopment site in Rotterdam. The project, dubbed “Tree House,” focusses on creating a lively, inspiring, open and sustainable environment for residents and visitors in the city centre. At 140-meters and 37 storeys tall, the building will sit next to the Central Station as the tallest hybrid structure in the country and will be a bold new addition to the local area.

Tree House’s glazed facades are punctuated by long external timber-clad balconies, including some connected by staircases to help animate its urban presence. The upper levels will house 275 apartments, with 185 set aside for private rentals and 30% reserved for the mid-market sector. Below this, 15,000m2 of office space will be geared towards innovation and technology companies and include coworking areas curated by operator TQ. A seventh-floor restaurant will face a lush planted terrace, while at the ground floor, shops, cafes and a multi-function events and performance space help to draw the public in and provide a mix of amenities for the city’s use. The project team is working with De Dépendance, Rotterdam’s diverse platform for culture and debate, to create socially relevant programming throughout.

The building is being designed to stand at the forefront of architectural sustainability and will feature a part-timber structure with a concrete core, significant reused and recycled materials, rainwater collection and reuse and CO2 storage. External balconies and terraces feature plantings and greenery, spreading up towards a crown of three glazed greenhouses filled with trees and gardens to emphasise a commitment to biodiversity.

Partner Ron Bakker from PLP Architecture said, “We enjoy designing buildings that push boundaries, and this is an innovative, sustainable, mixed-use tower, with a hybrid timber structure, almost on top of Rotterdam's Central Station - a new typology for future cities.”

The project was selected from a group of three international team submissions including UN Studio and Group A. Construction is expected to begin in 2021, with completion in 2024.

November 26, 2019

PLP Architecture Partner Midori Ainoura spoke to Mapiq about the future of work and the role technology is playing in it. She addressed three thought-provoking statements about the future of smart offices with her unique insight. Midori helps lead PLP’s innovation in workplace design and strategy through her architecture and pioneering work with PLP Labs, and regularly speaks on the topic around the world. She was a driving force behind The Edge in Amsterdam, which was designed as the world’s smartest and most sustainable office building.

www.mapiq.com

November 4, 2019

COIMA City Lab, a think tank focussed on the research and development of sustainable urban regeneration projects, today presented its first charter “Undertaking for Great Cities”, which sets measurable standards and establishes guidelines for sustainable urban regeneration in Milan.

Lee Polisano, president of PLP Architecture, is one of the primary members of COIMA City Lab. Lee developed and endorsed the charter alongside other members, Manfredi Catella (COIMA), Stefano Boeri (Stefano Boeri Architetti), Elizabeth Diller (Diller Scofidio + Renfro), Gregg Jones (Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects), Carlo Ratti (Carlo Ratti Associati), Cino Zucchi (Cino Zucci Architetti) and Christopher Choa (AECOM).

The charter states that urban regeneration projects must: serve the common good, create an identity and generate a ‘sense of place’, be in harmony with its surroundings, be resilient and adapt over time, contribute to a healthier environment, encourage integration, promote diversity and green culture. The City Lab Charter identified measurable objectives and uses a score card to track and measure whether a project meets the targets.

August 23, 2019

With 22 Bishopsgate nearing completion and soon to become the City of London’s tallest building, the Architects’ Journal talks to PLP founding partner Karen Cook about her story and the evolution of the next tall building set to make a mark on London’s skyline.

From bespoke artworks to a social agenda, 22 Bishopsgate will set a new standard for workplace design. Adam Branson’s interview with Karen Cook walks you through how these ideas first came about and the unique elements that have made their way into the final design.

Architects’ Journal

May 31, 2019

PLP Architecture was one of the trailblazer practices that helped put together the Modern Apprenticeship Standard for Architecture. We are excited to be offering a level 7 Architectural Apprenticeship Programme (equivalent) to RIBA Part 2 & 3) for potential candidates who want to become architects.

If you are considering a career in architecture, but you are not sure if studying full-time at university is for you – or if you’ve completed part of your architect training and want to earn a salary whilst undertaking the next step – then a degree apprenticeship could be the right route for you. Apprenticeships combine practical experience in the workplace with academic training provided by a university. A minimum of 20% of the apprentice’s contracted hours must be spent undertaking this formal training.

Any student wishing to do their Part 2 may apply. The details of the specific apprenticeship programme will be available from the University.

For more details please email [email protected] with the subject heading Apprenticeship programme.

May 13, 2019

The tallest building in the City of London has ceremoniously topped out, celebrating reaching its highest point in the structure of 294.520mAOD. Representatives from across the project team, including Multiplex, AXA IM – Real Assets, on behalf of an international consortium of investors, Lipton Rogers Developments and PLP Architecture attended the ceremony on Friday to mark this significant milestone for the project.

www.architectsjournal.co.uk

April 6, 2019

‘Forget tech, what about the humans?’ PLP’s Hala El Akl spoke at the MIT World Real Estate Forum as part of a panel discussion on the human dimensions of technological growth in our cities. A huge thanks to panel moderator Marie Puyaraud (JLL) and fellow speakers Jeroen de Swart (EDGE Technologies), Kate Langan (ANZ), Peter Prischl (eFM) and to the MIT Center for Real Estate.

Hala also spoke to audiences about the changing role of the architect in today’s world. She talked about how we must balance calls for growing human comfort with an awareness of the environmental impacts this can have; how collaboration and shared ideas can be the driver of real change; and how we must be adding value to cities outside of our traditional remit.

January 28, 2019

PLP Architecture’s proposal for the extension of Krea University in India, has been successful in an invited international design competition.

The campus will create over 450,000 sqm of innovative academic space, alongside staff and student accommodation, support, sports and leisure facilities. The 220 acre site will be an integral element of Sri City, a new industrial and business hub in the Andhra Pradesh region of South-East India.

The new interdisciplinary university will be assembled around a core academic centre. A Learning and Teaching hub will provide a diverse array of learning spaces from traditional Harvard style lecture theatres and seminar rooms to contemporary and dynamic creative zones collected around circulation routes. The approach is to create a technology-rich environment, data driven and adaptive to the student’s needs, with science merged with the creative arts. Laboratories, shared technical spaces and exhibition areas are brought together as a collaborative whole.

The University aspires to create a different and progressive learning environment, with direct correlations to real world interaction in business and industry, and so the design of the campus will facilitate this teaching ethos. A new library building, including special collections and digital media, will be the emblematic soul of the campus: an iconic presence and focal point for independent research, whilst the Student Centre will be the social hub of the University, providing space for dining, events, clubs and academic support. The University is keen to forge direct links with local business, and so an Innovation Hub will provide accelerator space for start-ups and growing business, conference facilities and teaching areas for evening classes and professional development. The wellbeing of students has driven the masterplan, with a focus on healthy living and vitality. A sports centre with a range of recreational fitness facilities spills out into external sports fields, which form part of natural ribbon of green public realm that links the north-east and south-west boundaries of the site. Edge plots will be used for local farming as a laboratory for agricultural research, and a way of producing fresh and sustainable food for the Campus, which will be fully residential, accommodating 10,000 students, 1000 staff and visitors.

January 22, 2019

In a joint venture with Newcastle University, we are pleased to announce the first year of student applications for the Gavin Eldred and PLP Architecture Bursary. Gavin Eldred, 1965 - 2017, earned his degree in Architecture at Newcastle University. Passionate about architecture, Gavin worked to support his studies. He travelled to New Zealand to practice, and after settling in London became a Director at PLP Architecture. Among the significant built work that Gavin helped deliver are The Four Seasons Hotel in Abu Dhabi; NOVA-Victoria in Westminster; and 22 Bishopsgate, the tallest office tower in the City of London. In honour of Gavin’s love for life and Architecture, PLP Architecture will offer a bursary in the amount of £2500 to one student, to encourage the study of Architecture. The bursary will be awarded in four consecutive years to four different students.

For more information, please visit:

www.plparchitecture.com/NSA/

November 26, 2018

The construction of Tower Ten, the new expansion of the World Trade Centre Amsterdam, officially began last week at a Ground Breaking Ceremony launched by deputy director Sandra Thesing of the City of Amsterdam and Ronald van der Waals of CBRE Global Investors, the Fund Manager of the Fund that owns the building in the Zuidas central business district.

Since gaining planning approval from the city last year, the site has been decanted and prepared ready for part demolition and reconstruction. Much of the structure and slabs of the existing facility will be re-used, though Tower Ten will present a radically different appearance from its predecessor, adding 32,000 sqm of new office space and amenities in the process.

The original World Trade Center was built in the 1980s as a rational sequence of gridded blocks of concrete frame and glazed curtain walling. A thorough refurbishment of the four original towers, as well as a substantial extension to the campus, were completed over a decade ago by the design team led by Ron Bakker and Lee Polisano of PLP Architecture. PLP has now returned to the campus to deliver the third major iteration in the history of the Center’s development.

October 8, 2018

The Telegraph reports today on the unique interiors of our new residential development for Lodha in Bloomsbury.  The building will open at the end of the year, and will offer 230 apartments with amenities for residents, and a landscaped courtyard with communal gardens. The interior design team comprises Bowler James Brindley, and the Spanish designer, Patricia Urquiola – it is her debut residential project in London.

September 25, 2018

The second of PLP Architecture’s Metropolitan Reflections series was held at the Arts Club in Central London yesterday. The event focussed on the changing nature of work and brought together 10 leading voices in the field. It featured a keynote address from Dr Carl Benedikt Frey, Co-Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Technology and Employment at the University of Oxford.

Metropolitan Reflections bring together leading experts from across the industry and related disciplines in a small and intimate roundtable environment to foster knowledge sharing related to cultural shifts in the contemporary built environment. The events were launched in 2018.

June 11, 2018

The summer exhibition at the RA is always a favourite event in the London cultural calendar. This year, PLP Architecture was fortunate enough to have two project models selected for the architecture room: Oakwood Tower, and Tour888/IUMO/v. Both projects are the result of our own research, conducted by PLPLabs. Oakwood Tower is the first in a series of collaborations with Cambridge University to interrogate the potential of tall buildings constructed from wood. The IUMO/v project is an exploration of a new system of circulation that takes elevators out of central cores and positions them on the exterior of buildings. We are interested in how this logistical move might influence the future form of new urban structures.

Curated by Piers Gough, the newly configured architecture room at the RA forms a key and connected centrepiece for the entire exhibition. It offers a refreshed visual approach that balances pieces from both established and emerging practices. A central spine of tall buildings, which includes PLP’s two entries, divides the room into two main sections and playfully features a fun, accessible portal in its middle through which visitors can pass. In addition, the physical bounds of the space have been blurred thanks to intentional placement of more architectural pieces of art in the adjacent rooms.

At PLP, we have a large and dedicated team of modelmakers led by Neil Merryweather. We advocate the role of the model in the design process by bringing together craftsmanship with artistic vision, intelligence of approach and a continued exploration of new materials and techniques. Our modelmaking team uses processes including etching, lazer cutting, 3D printing and rapid prototyping to create an extraordinary array of representational models.