The practice has handed in an application to the City of London Corporation to improve the accessibility and energy efficiency of the 28-year-old Grade II*-listed office building.
Korean giant IGIS Asset Management appointed West London outfit Fore Partnership earlier this year to run the refurbishment, which is being carried out in partnership with former Morris+Company architect Ben Cross. John Robertson Architects was commissioned as lead architect and has submitted the applications for planning and listed building consent.
The project team said its proposals ‘set out a model for intelligent decarbonisation’ and warned that No 1 Poultry could become a ‘stranded asset’ without ‘significant’ intervention. It added that the building had become ‘increasingly misaligned with contemporary workplace expectations’.
Plans include all-electric energy systems supported by heat pumps, insulation improvements and new technology to ‘improve performance without intrusive structural intervention’.
The vision includes reinstating free public access to the building’s Apex Garden roof terrace with ‘durable materials, enhanced biodiversity and layered landscaping’.
‘The building is misaligned with contemporary workplace expectations’
Meanwhile, the Prow entrance at Bank junction will be reopened to the public for the first time in more than 25 years with a ‘procession from street to roof’ restoring a ‘ceremonial sequence shaped by Stirling’s Scala Regia’.
The project team added: ‘These changes address long-standing accessibility challenges and reinforce the building’s civic contribution, supporting the City of London’s Destination City objectives.’
Improved amenities, overhauled thermal performance and enhanced arrival spaces are also proposed, along with a re-engineered interior that supports ‘modern patterns of work and wellbeing’.
Flexible floorplates, improved daylighting and a network of more than 200 sensors are designed to support adaptable, low-carbon operation, while ‘retaining the rigour of the original plan’.
Completed in 1997, No 1 Poultry was the final project by the late James Stirling with James Stirling Michael Wilford and Associates.
The revamp is aiming for EPC A and BREEAM Outstanding ratings, as well as net zero operation.
Cross said: ‘To preserve the past, we must design for the future.
‘This refurbishment forms part of a wider conversation about how our cities and historic buildings must adapt to new environmental expectations and patterns of work. It follows extensive consultation with our neighbours, the guardians of its architectural legacy and policy makers.
‘To preserve the past, we must design for the future’
‘No 1 Poultry can continue to honour Stirling and Wilford’s intent while significantly reducing energy use and creating a more inclusive, future-ready workplace. It shows how London can preserve what it values while preparing for a more sustainable future.’
Fore founder Basil Demeroutis added: ‘No 1 Poultry is an extraordinary building, rich in character but under-occupied and under-performing. Our ambition is to make it a frontrunner in one of the world’s most competitive office markets, securing long-term occupation while reinvesting in its public and carbon future.’
Historic England has already backed the scheme for what it called ‘one of the most celebrated examples of Postmodern architecture in the country’. The organisation’s regional director, Tom Foxall, said: ‘We support these proposals to reinvigorate and retrofit this landmark building so that it can continue to contribute positively to the local area and economy.
‘We’re pleased to have contributed to a thorough, collaborative consultation process and to have helped shape a sustainable long-term future for this Grade II*-listed building.’
No 1 Poultry