1 Finsbury Avenue

Speculative office building of 1982-4, designed by Arup Associates (Peter Foggo) for Rosehaugh Greycoat Estates Ltd, with external cladding by Josef Gartner (UK) Ltd.

The building comprises eight floors of commercial offices arranged symmetrically across a footprint of approximately 57 metres by 84 metres, forming the east side of Wilson Street and the west side of Finsbury Avenue Square. A basement carpark occupies the southern portion, with ground floor commercial outlets, including a pub, to the north. The offices were originally set round a central atrium, which was subsequently enclosed at third floor level in 1997 to create an uninterrupted trading floor and converted into a lower enclosed hall with an upper light well.

The structure consists of a rolled steel frame with bolted connections, with columns set on a 6 by 6 metre grid, increased to 6.75 metres on the central section. Diagonal bracing and metal decking serve as permanent formwork for light concrete floors. Dark bronze-anodised aluminium curtain walling, designed and manufactured by Josef Gartner, forms an integrated cladding system that incorporates perimeter heating through the circulation of hot water via hollow window frames. Stair towers, expressed externally and located towards the outer ends of the long elevations, are clad in narrow vertical aluminium panels. Bronzed aluminium brises soleil and steel cross bracing enliven the simple elevations, supporting maintenance walkways. Polished pink and brown granite forms the plinths, ground floor fascias, and door and window surrounds, with channelled angles and chamfered bases at the tower bases. The structure, detail and services are precisely engineered and integrated within the tartan grid developed by Arup Associates.

The building rises to eight storeys with landscaped terraces stepped down the long sides at fifth and sixth floor levels, intended to reduce visual impact at street level. The centre of the north elevation is set back between forward arms, while the south elevation is treated as a single plane of glazed curtain walling. Centrally placed entrances from Wilson Street and Finsbury Avenue Square are expressed by set backs on the upper floors and open onto two-storey lobbies leading to the central hall.