PLP architecture to add modern workspace along london's holborn viaduct

a new space for hogan lovells law firm in london

PLP architecture unveils its design for ‘holborn viaduct,’ the future london headquarters for law firm hogan lovells. the new office building will be sited alongside the grade II listed holborn viaduct, and will stand as a gateway to the english capital’s ‘culture mile’ cultural district. this new urban transformation will significantly enhance the neighborhood’s sidewalk life and pedestrian connectivity. rising thirteen-stories, the building will further deliver a sustainable, adaptable, and healthy new workplace environment.

image by wire collective | @wirecollective © PLP architecture

the biodiverse workspaces by PLP architecture

with its hogan lovells headquarters at the holborn viaduct, PLP architecture (see more here) prioritizes human comfort and wellbeing. with these values, the design team aims to create an environment that is environmentally sustainable while enhancing the health of those who work there. through its architecture, the design team hopes that the space will simultaneously foster creativity and spark innovation.

the occupants of the headquarters will have access to adaptable, modern workspaces, which include biodiverse green terraces to promote outdoor working. communal and social spaces are interwoven into the lower floors and central atrium, with interconnecting staircases designed to promote movement and bring people together. the building even integrates fitness facilities with a dedicated wellness wing entrance at street level.

image © PLP architecture

architecture in dialogue with its context

the design language of PLP architecture’s hogan lovells headquarters is informed by its context at the holborn viaduct. the building takes shape to enhance the setting of the historic south-eastern gatehouse, one of four which frame the holborn viaduct bridge. a new masonry base on farringdon street will be expressed with portland stone, reused from the existing buildings, to weave the gatehouse back into the streetscape.

the upper levels of the building will be wrapped in perforated vertical fins to create a quieter backdrop for the listed gatehouse, while the massing and facade articulation are informed by passive design principles — the depth and detailing of the facade will minimize solar gain, maximize daylight, and provide natural ventilation.

set to achieve BREEAM outstanding and WELL platinum accreditation, the building will reduce embodied and operational carbon. long-term adaptability and disassembly will be accomplished through the adoption of a layered design and installation approach to building components, allowing individual elements to be adapted and replaced in response to changing climate and future occupational requirements.