London & South East Premier Construction

30 Cannon Street

Cannon Street
Written by Roma Publications

30 Cannon Street

Image Credit Tim Crocker

Image Credit Tim Crocker

Originally constructed in 1977, 30 Cannon Street is one of London’s most distinctive and architecturally unique structures. Located in the heart of the city, the building has recently undergone a comprehensive refurbishment and now boasts Grade A office space with a private 5th floor roof terrace and a shared roof garden.

The refurbishment has attracted significant attention since completion and was shortlisted for the RIBA London Regional Awards and the New London Architecture Awards 2017. The design of 30 Cannon Street’s new look was carried out by Delvendahl Martin Architects. Eric Martin, Director at the firm, spoke to Premier Construction about the work:

“The existing structure is a 1970s Grade II Listed office building. We were involved with the extension of the 5th floor including the creation of a new roof terrace with an accompanying garden. We also re-glazed around 90% of the façade along with repainting it and carrying out some general repairs. Lastly, we were responsible for the refurbishment of the lobby.

“Before we started working the area was partly occupied by office space, with about a third taken up by building services including the ventilation facilities. These services were upgraded and moved to the roof which freed up the whole floor. The floor plan is now much more efficient.”

Delvendahl Martin Architects had been working with client, Romulus, for about two years before beginning work on this project at the end of 2013. Completed at the end of 2016, construction was carried out while three occupied floors of the building remained open to tenants. As such an important aspect of the work was minimising disruption. Eric continued:

“Working around existing tenants was a bit tricky but in the end they are very happy because of the new amenity space that has been created with the roof terrace and garden. The re-glazing work means that more natural light can get into the building and every floor benefits from this.

“We had to replace the existing roof because it was a very lightweight structure. We’ve added some planting alongside decking and seating areas. It’s a very nice, green space with great views of the surrounding area, including St Paul’s Cathedral.

“When the façade was originally built in the 1970s it was a very novel system and we had to replicate that as part of the extension. That was a particularly interesting aspect of the work for us, with a little bit of conservation as well as incorporating new elements.”

The listed status of the building meant a number of parties, including English Heritage, had to be consulted about the work to make sure it was sympathetic to the original design. The immediate success of the building is a testament to the work of Delvendahl Martin Architects, working within a number of constraints. Eric concluded:

“This was an important development for us to be involved with. It was a complex project that had a lot of different components and it was crucial we got it right. The client is happy, the tenants are happy and it has also been shortlisted for a number of awards so overall it has been very successful.”

Delvendahl Martin Architects was established in 2009 by Nikolai Delvendahl and Eric Martin. The practice has a growing portfolio across a variety of sectors.

Image Credit Tim Crocker

Image Credit Tim Crocker

Surfaceform

Surfaceform specialise in bespoke, handcrafted, timeless interior wall surface finishes, using GRG relief plaster and polished plaster. The company was founded in 2003 out of a passion for creating interesting textures and surfaces, and was influenced by texture & colour and inspired by the world around.

Surfaceform’s craftsmanship is visible in many prestigious projects throughout the UK, Ireland, Europe and Asia and has included projects such as Harrods with David Collins Studio; The Science Museum with ZahaHadid;Zig Zag Building with HLW International LLP; and The Lanesborough with 1508. Most recently, Surfaceform was involved with Delvendahl Martin, Romulus Construction and Capel to design, fabricate and install GRG Plaster panels in various designs to the lobby area for Cannon Street.

Surfaceform Managing Director Aaron McKeown, said:

“Given the scale of the design, it was great to be involved with this project from the initial concept of the project with the architect, client and builder, discussing imitations and challenges involved in delivering this project within a live environment.”

Aaron added:

“Surfaceform pride ourselves on being passionate about what we do.”

About the author

Roma Publications