Lakeshore, the former Wills Tobacco Headquarters

Lakeshore, formerly the Wills Tobacco Headquarters, is a large modernist building constructed between 1970 and 1975. Designed by the American architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago, in collaboration with Yorke, Rosenberg and Mardall of London, the landscaping was by Kenneth Booth. The building has a reinforced concrete-framed podium beneath a Cor-ten steel-framed block with concrete floor slabs.

The layout is L-shaped, comprising a two-storey concrete podium, approximately 168 by 102 metres in size and orientated north-east to south-west, and a rectangular, five-storey block, measuring approximately 72 by 33 metres, rising from the south-west wing. The podium is partially built into the land, situated above a large, elongated, kidney-shaped lake. Originally providing amenities for factory workers, the podium features strong horizontal strips of exposed aggregate forming balustrades, with two tubular handrails. Recessed full-height glazing is divided by the concrete pillars of the frame. The steel-framed block originally incorporated shops on the ground floor and offices above. The Cor-ten steel frame has the characteristic weathered, oxidised appearance of the material. The design features 20 bays with glazing recessed by 1.8 metres, highlighting the grid structure and creating a sense of transparency. Cor-ten steel grilles on each floor act as balconies, enclosed by glass screens, to diffuse sunlight. The large glazed areas are now divided by narrow pale panels placed between the apartments, mirroring the rhythm of the steel frame. A vertical break of one bay is inserted part-way along the south-east and north-west elevations, emphasizing the new entrances. An atrium is set back from the facades at roof level. The treatment, proportions, and materials are consistent across all elevations.

Internally, a stairwell within the steel-framed block features a concrete dog-leg staircase with a square-tubular handrail. Other interior elements relate to the later residential accommodation. Light wells have been inserted through the concrete slab floors of the original office block, and a concrete lift shaft and new landscaping features have been added.