12 New Fetter Lane

The external envelope for the building is composed almost entirely of glass.

The core cladding is expressed with very pale grey opaque glass vertical panels, whilst the main clear glazing to the offices is expressed as a multi-faceted and reticulated surface.

These diamond-like facades generate multiple complex reflections, capturing light and constantly changing in both pattern and appearance throughout the day. This highly modelled façade also acts as a deliberate counterpoint to the strong horizontality of the New Street Square building opposite, and is a subtle reference to the historic diamond dealing district of Hatton Garden.

Flanagan Lawrence
Flanagan Lawrence
Flanagan Lawrence is an award-winning, design-led architectural practice based in London. The practice has an impressive collective expertise across a broad range of sectors and building typology, including large-scale commercial projects and high-end residential schemes, as well as cultural, hotel and leisure, education, infrastructure, logistics, business parks and major masterplanning projects both in the UK and internationally. Flanagan Lawrence has worked with a diverse body of clients in both the private and public sectors. Public sector work has included performance space as well as office space and regeneration schemes. clients have included the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Sadler’s Wells Theatre Trust, Soundforms plc ,The Sage Gateshead, as well as tertiary education client bodies such as Magdalen College, Oxford, Imperial College London and Brunel University. Private Clients have included Ask Property, Athos, BAA Lynton, British Land, Brookfield Europe, Candy & Candy, Chelsfield Development Securities, Espalier, Finchatton, Grainger, Great Portland Estates, Grosvenor, Herby Holdings, Land Securities, Londonewcastle, Muse Developments, Quintain Estates and Developments, Segro, and Sellar Property Group.
Doone Silver Kerr
Doone Silver Kerr
Doone Silver Architects is a London-based architectural practice. Established in 2010, the studio is led by Directors Richard Doone, John Silver and Ross Kerr, and has extensive experience in commercial, residential and hospitality sectors worldwide. With decades of personal experience, the individual Directors have consistently demonstrated an ability to challenge the preconceptions of a project to unlock exciting design and economic opportunities. Each project is approached without preconceived ideas. There is a clearly discernible pattern that links the work, a unity of thought and a robust rationale that can be identified in each design and that results from a close and enjoyable collaboration with clients and project teams. Their architecture takes an all-encompassing approach to the integration of form, structure, materials and light. Making places to pause and interact with the natural and built environment is an essential issue, together with the responsibility to provide a sense of positive civic engagement. Their projects always aim to minimise environmental impact and to optimise energy efficiency. Three of the most recent projects have all achieved BREEAM ‘Excellent’ ratings.
12 New Fetter Lane

12 New Fetter Lane

The design concept for 12 New Fetter Lane springs from the interplay of opportunities unique to the site and its context, together with a dynamic architectural theme and use of materials.

Project Specs

  • Location: London
  • Completed: 2016
  • Contractor: Mace Limited
  • Photographer: James Brittain - Kevin Sansbury
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Technology

12 New Fetter Lane

The building features a diamond-shaped geometry unitised curtain walling, which creates angular facets (reticulated) on plan that are offset between each floor.
The stunning façade at the ground floor is designed with full height laminated glass fins and almost full sized “jumbo” glazed units 3m wide x 6m high.

The South Elevation, which overlooks The Maughan Library historical building, features a glazed spandrel façade and a stick curtain walling system with double fritted DGU’s, creating
an original and impressive translucent effect.

Contributing to the inventive nature of the project is the use of varying internal and external finishes to the aluminium. A RAL 9006 pale metal grey internal finish and a natural anodized
aluminium combined with B715 dark Anolok blue grey external finishing to the copings louvres and soffits, contribute to highlight the innovative nature and the originality of the project.

Designed by

Flanagan Lawrence Architects
Doone Silver Kerr Architects

Live Project

The design concept for 12 New Fetter Lane springs from the interplay of opportunities unique to the site and its context, together with a dynamic architectural theme and use of materials.

First of all the site is actually an assembly of three smaller sites, which together create the triangular footprint for the building. It is located where two routes deeply in contrast meet: one characterised by a landscape architecture conservation while the other one stands out for its high-rise commercial development. Joining these streets up the contextual interface is fully revealed and a slender vertical hinge is introduced to signify and express that dramatic event.

With a triangular footprint and a tall hinge at the Southern apex of the triangle, the volumetric boundary points for the design are established. The street scale of Fetter Lane bounding the conservation area required a five-storey cornice line, whilst the street scale of New Fetter Lane could be much higher. The overall height limit to the East resulted from a number of contributory factors.

Firstly, since the new building occupies a transitional position it needed to be lower than the New Street Square building. Secondly, the scale change between the West and East elevation required a governing architectural rationale, which after much study emerged as a cascade of double storey stepped terraces rotating around the southern vertical hinge. The hinge itself was then expressed as a translucent glazed staircase, filtering natural light during the day and glowing as a vertical white beacon at night.

Other Façade Systems