210, 220, 240, 250, 260 and 290 Park Avenue

Speculative offices, built between 1987 and 1988 in two phases, designed by Campbell Zogolovitch Wilkinson and Gough (CZWG) for the Aztec West business park.

MATERIALS: light steel framework, faced with red and buff bricks and pre-cast concrete elements.

PLAN: two square blocks with inner courtyards. There is a circular entrance court at the blocks' intersection. Two further semi-circular entrance courts at the diagonal corners mark the position of additional entrances.

EXTERIOR: the two-storey buildings have banded cladding of red and buff brick with pre-cast concrete dressings. Full-height vertical window strips represent implied columns, with engaged ‘capitals’ marking from a continuous concrete architrave. Comparable treatment to projecting sills. These features are influenced by Ricardo Bofill’s Les Espaces d'Abraxas housing at Marne-la-Vallée, France, of 1978 to 1983. The cornice is marked by projecting concrete edgings alternating with brick courses which terminate in projecting points at the far end of each semi-circular entrance court. At the centre of each entrance court is a vertical break in the façade into which is set an entrance gate, with curved metal work, to the courtyard, surmounted by a metal balcony. Flanking entrances, marked by a rendered semi-circular arch, give access to each office unit; the entrance canopies are later replacements. At the diagonal corner of each block there are also louvred doors which replicate the form of the office entrances and provide access to services. There is a square, inner courtyard at the centre of each block. Each courtyard has concrete paviours in a herringbone pattern around a circular gravelled area bisected by a path with seating. A first-floor covered balcony runs around the edge of the courtyard, with semi-circular patterned metal work to the balustrade, a wooden handrail and herringbone-patterned brick-clad walkways. The balcony is accessed by a split staircase fire escape at one corner. Pairs of drainage chains hang from the balcony and connect to the courtyard floor.

INTERIOR: each square, two-storey courtyard block is subdivided into two L-plan units with direct access to the courtyard at the junction. Stairs and WCs are located inside the flanking office entrances. The staircases have tubular handrails, and a section of open-tread metal stairs up to the first-flight level. The open-plan office interiors have been refurbished.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the entrance courts have concrete paviours in herringbone pattern, into which is set the circular ‘turning circle’.