This 16-storey building is the European headquarters for the State Street Bank Corporation.
Located at the eastern end of Canary Wharf’s east/west axis, the building serves as an entry point into the estate. In order to establish its presence as a gateway, the design complements the surrounding architecture, while creating an identity distinctive from these primarily glass structures. The designers accomplished this by combining the granite stone similar to that used in London’s historic buildings, with a glass skin. The granite is used as veneer panels within the light and silvery metal curtain wall system, giving the appearance thinness and delicacy. The width of the stone panels becomes thinner with each higher floor.
Between the stone panels, the glass is uninterrupted by mullions from floor to floor, and the spandrel zone is hidden by a translucent treatment that glows in the light. The vertical dimensions of the glass allow a great amount of daylight into the interior, resulting in a reduction in energy consumption.