Planning Permission Granted at Piccadilly

Robert Adam Architects are delighted to announce the approval of their project in Piccadilly. From the outset, the site has required a thoughtful approach by way of its important position as a major thoroughfare within the heart of London’s West End. city. Located adjacent to St James Church by Sir Christopher Wren and adjoining the Simpson’s Building, a pioneering modernist design of the 1930’s, it is to be set within a prestigious sector of the city’s architectural fabric. Similarly, it faces in three directions: north onto Piccadilly, south onto Jermyn Street and west onto Church Place, an important pedestrian link between the two main streets.   

Set over eight storeys and housing over 70,000 square feet of office space, with nearly 30,000 square feet allocated for retail, the building is designed to command a strong presence within the area. A modern classical design, it has a distinct identity appropriate to the high prestige of the area and the high quality of accommodation within. The skyline is dramatically rendered with large crested dormer windows and ten foot high urns, all set against a sloping copper roof. A powerful octagonal tower marks the corner of Church place and Piccadilly and is topped by a delicate rooftop pavilion with narrow columns and glass walls that encloses the building’s plant room. The leading classical sculptor Alexander Stoddart has been commissioned to produce distinctive column capitals in the form of human heads, providing the building with an added sense of individuality and character.  

The design also makes full use of traditional classical techniques to fit into its varied urban setting, each facade carefully modulated with increasing and increasing detail according to the different character of each neighbouring street. Accordingly, Piccadilly utilises full classical detail, while Jermyn Street is more retrained and Church Street restrainedly simple in detail. Each façade whilst individual forms part of a unified and dynamic whole that complements the character of its surroundings whilst truly adding something fresh and new to the urban landscape.