8 Bishopsgate Floor Plan

[Nichele Seibel]

HDRwas appointed to provide holistic building engineering services design and Category B fit-out for the 38,000-square-foot office split across two floors, to accommodate 740 employees. An ambitious project with many moving parts, HDR successfully overcame intricate challenges to deliver a space that meets the needs of today and tomorrow.

Consequently, aspects which require connectivity, including desks and work hubs, can be moved anywhere within the space for maximum agility and usability, removing constraints and giving employees the freedom and convenience to hold meetings wherever suits them best. This is a true example of an agile workspace.

HDR was responsible for the security of the art pieces and created bespoke solutions including stand-alone access restrictions and surveillance. The artwork can be moved around freely as the cameras are easy to reposition, adding to the overall flexibility. Working with an architectural light specialist, HDR also led on all art lighting and spotlights.

HDR set out to transform an empty and open plan CAT A space into a series of spaces and experiences that flow while providing more cellular areas as required by the brief, for focused and collaborative work. As a client-facing organisation, Hiscox also aspired to create high-quality hosting and catering spaces.

The project is an exemplar in sustainability, prioritising the use of natural and, where possible, recycled materials. HDR undertook all the engineering services in line with BREEAM Excellent standards and, as part of this workstream, installed a filtration system for recycled air and fresh air intake. The team also adhered to the strict criteria of the WELL Building Standard for a human-centric and well-being focused approach.

The result is an office that can be easily maintained and provides value by delivering a long-term single solution. HDR successfully delivered an interesting and dynamic space whereby people and art are central to the architect's vision. Collaborating with an enlightened client HDR has contributed to an exemplar 21st Century office, delivering on the beauty of the concept without compromising safety or functionality.

22 Bishopsgate, also known as Twentytwo, is a commercial skyscraper in London, England. Completed in 2020, it occupies a prominent site in Bishopsgate, in the City of London financial district, and stands at 278 m (912 ft) tall with 62 storeys. The project replaces an earlier plan for a 288 m (945 ft) tower named The Pinnacle, on which construction was started in 2008 but suspended in 2012 following the Great Recession, with only the concrete core of the first seven storeys. The structure was later subjected to a re-design, out of which it became known by its postal address, 22 Bishopsgate.[4] It is the second tallest building in the United Kingdom and the seventeenth tallest building in Europe.

Under the original plans, The Pinnacle was to become the second-tallest building in both the United Kingdom and the European Union after The Shard, also in London. The Economic Development Corporation of Saudi Arabia and its development manager, Arab Investments, which largely funded the construction, invested 500 million in it in return for a majority stake in the structure.[5] However, the build was put on hold due to a lack of additional funding and letting commitments.

In 2013 it was reported that a review of the design and construction process, undertaken by original architects Kohn Pedersen Fox, agents CBRE and the developers, had been completed, with the building's "helter skelter" style exterior set to be retained.[6] In 2015, the site was sold to a consortium led by Axa Real Estate and a re-design with a simpler exterior, ultimately excluding the costly "helter skelter" shape, was submitted for public consultation before application for planning permission.

In 2017, plans were approved which redesigned the building and reduced its height further to 255 m due to concerns that the cranes used for its construction could interfere with the flight paths of the nearby London City Airport.[8][9] However, these plans were withdrawn after approval was granted for the previous 278-metre design.

The architects of The Pinnacle were Kohn Pedersen Fox and the developer was the fund management company Union Investment. The height of the tower was initially proposed at 307 metres (1,007 ft), but this was scaled down to 288 metres (945 ft) following concerns from the Civil Aviation Authority.[10][11] The revised design included approximately 88,000 square metres (947,200 sq ft) of office space.[12]

The Bishopsgate Tower, as it was first called, was submitted for planning permission in June 2005 and approved in April 2006.[13] The twisting design of its roof and the curling patterns in the faade were based on various organic forms in nature such as armadillos, mushrooms and seashells, and led to the building being nicknamed "The Helter Skelter".[14] The upper floors were to contain restaurants and the highest public viewing platform in the UK.[10][15]

The Pinnacle's original design also provided more solar panelling than any other building in the country, with 2,000 square metres (21,500 sq ft) of photovoltaic cells, capable of generating up to 200 kW of electricity. It would also have had a double-layered skin like the nearby gherkin-shaped 30 St Mary Axe, allowing it to respond dynamically to climatic changes and to utilise effective climate control with low energy consumption.[16] To control construction costs, every panel on the tower would be of exactly the same size.

In August 2006 Keltbray began test-piling on site. Demolition began on the smaller of the two existing buildings in November 2006. In February 2007 it was reported that the Bishopsgate Tower had been purchased by Arab Investments, and that the structure would be renamed as The Pinnacle.[17]

In May 2007 it was announced that full funding had been secured and that The Pinnacle was likely to be built speculatively.[18][19] In June 2007 demolition began on Crosby Court, the larger of the two existing buildings on the site.[20]

22 Bishopsgate's environmental, social, and governance policy, ESG, states that the building was envisioned to be engineered for optimum sustainability.[22] The building management has goals to limit waste and energy use within the large structure, including care in what they purchase as the building is occupied by tenants: "The 22 Team work to a set of circular economy principles and innovative logistics, built to reduce waste and make the smallest impact possible on the spaces around us."[23]

Demolition of the existing site began in mid-2007.[24][20] It was scheduled to be completed by February 2008, however this was delayed until April 2008 because of an injunction won in December 2007 by Hiscox, an insurance company based in neighbouring Great St. Helen's.[25][26] The company complained about noise pollution from the work. The injunction obtained by Hiscox Syndicates & Another against The Pinnacle Ltd & Others in January 2008 afforded protection on three points:

The injunction was successfully varied at a hearing in June 2008. An application to vary the terms of the injunction in connection with access was granted and a new Order made by the Technology and Construction Court.

In late May 2008, a mobile crane and piling rig were on site preparing for construction.[20][28] It was reported that law firm Davies Arnold Cooper was to take up 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) of office space,[29] and subsequently that the restaurant which was to be at the top of the tower was let. The tower was well under construction, with steel rebar cages already inserted into the ground, which formed part of the piles that would hold the weight of the tower. In November 2008 another piling rig came into use on the site, as well as steel plates for the piles.

By March 2009 the largest-ever piles in the UK had been laid (the previous record holder was Moor House with foundations 57 m deep, and these were only built to that depth in 2002 to allow Crossrail to eventually pass under it). The piles were sunk 48.5 m below sea level, and 65.5 m below the site (surpassing Moor House's depth by 8.5 m).

In June 2011 Arab Investments announced that they had secured the near 500 million shortfall in the project, meaning that construction work could resume, and by December 2011 the core had reached the sixth floor. A 140 million loan was provided by HSH Nordbank, a lender based in Hamburg, which was subsequently extended three times.[30]

In March 2012 the project was halted until at least early 2013, due to problems regarding the pre-let.[31] In December 2012 a settlement offered by Arab Investments to contractors Brookfield Multiplex paved the way for construction to resume "potentially very soon".[32] However, in February 2013 it was reported that the part-built skyscraper could be demolished and rebuilt from scratch based on a less expensive scheme. The following month it was understood that several architects had submitted bids to re-design The Pinnacle, including Ken Shuttleworth, the co-designer of 30 St Mary Axe.[33]

In April 2013 it was suggested that The Pinnacle would not restart construction under its original design.[34] However, by December 2013, after an extensive design review, alterations to the interior floor plans were made but the costly exterior was retained with no significant changes.[35]

In February 2015 the site was acquired by a consortium led by Axa Real Estate in a deal worth 550 million. The building was completely redesigned[36] and a new application for planning permission was submitted in summer 2015 following consultation. That application was approved in November 2015. The concrete central core of the original design was completely removed by December 2015, and construction of the new building commenced in January 2016.

During the EU Referendum campaign, the developer, Axa, had stated that while they were "committed to the development", they may "revisit the options" if there was a vote to leave the EU.[38] However, despite the leave vote on 23 June, construction continued.[39] The 7th floor of the building is a co-working space with desks, meeting rooms, phone booths, and an event space.[40]

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