PAUL COCKSEDGE’S LIVING STAIRCASE BRINGS HERB GARDEN AND CREATIVE ZONES TO SOHO OFFICE PROJECT Sculptural centrepiece of London’s Ampersand building completed this week A living spiral staircase with open landings for reading, drawing and relaxing forms the centrepiece of a newly created workspace in London’s Soho district. Designed by Paul Cocksedge Studio and completed this week, the unique sculptural staircase is a showcase feature of a contemporary office development by Resolution Property known as Ampersand. At 12.5-meters high, the staircase provides a dynamic connectivity between the building’s four office floors within a curvilinear atrium, embodying Ampersand’s creativity-meets-commerce brand. Paul Cocksedge’s design removes the load-bearing pillar from the centre of a traditional staircase design and replaces it with a series of zones for relaxation, creative thinking and informal workplace interaction. Planting along the entire balustrade forms a ‘flying’ garden which can be tended by the building’s office community and there is potential for the staircase to include edible planting such as fresh mint. The landing on the first level of the staircase is a place to draw or leave messages, which can be hung on wires creating an ever-changing mobile. The second houses a library of source books for creative thought. The staircase is of timber and steel construction, using Forest Stewardship Council compliant American white oak. Paul Cocksedge worked in partnership with Arup during the 13-month build programme. Paul Cocksedge has garnered international recognition for his ingenious and spectacular spatial and architectural projects, as well as his innovations for amplifying sound and for lighting. Paul Cocksedge Studio has worked with a variety of commercial clients including the V&A, BMW, Hermès, Sony and 100%design. Paul said: “If a staircase is essentially about going from A to B, there is now a whole world living and breathing in the space between the two. I hope the Living Staircase will be used in ways we hadn't at all expected! This is the beauty of it: it allows so much space for all kinds of activities. I'm really looking forward to Ampersand's staff taking over the structure and making it totally their own." Designed by architects Darling Associates, Ampersand provides 64,000 sq ft of high specification office space in a substantially remodelled and refurbished Soho building, with a roof terrace and new entrances on Wardour Street and Hollen Street. Developers Resolution Property adopted a designer-led ethos in their bid to create a stimulating and unusual workplace for prospective occupiers. Subjit Jassy of Resolution Property, developing Ampersand for owner Peterson HK, said: “Paul’s staircase embodies what we set out to create at Ampersand. It’s a living, working motif for connectivity and interaction, not only between different floors but also between the creators and innovators that will occupy the building. We knew that to create a very special environment we needed to work with the best designers, like Paul, Tom Hingston who‘s designed the Ampersand reception and the Ampersand brand, and Damion Burrows of Darling Associates.” The Ampersand building completed in May 2015.
About Resolution Property Property creates inspiring places in stimulating environments, from cutting-edge workspaces for creative companies to urban loft apartments in happening quarters of London. Grounded in experience of some of Europe’s most successful urban development projects, Resolution’s creative office developments offer bespoke workplaces that defy the conventions of the commercial property market. Resolution recognises that creative companies thrive in stimulating environments, not in run-of-the-mill offices. Resolution Property was founded in 1998 with the specific aim of investing in UK and European commercial real estate that offers scope for high returns through a combination of good initial stock selection, active management, refurbishment and redevelopment potential.
www.resolutionproperty.com
About Paul Cocksedge Studio Paul Cocksedge Studio was founded in 2004 by Paul Cocksedge and Joana Pinho. With a strong and dedicated team of collaborators, the Studio has won national and international acclaim for its original and innovative design, underpinned by research into the limits of technology, materials and manufacturing processes. The key feature of the Studio’s work, in everything from product design to architectural projects, is a focus on simplicity and imagination in order to create unique people-centred designs. At the core of this focus lies an unrelenting attention to detail, a willingness to question previous assumptions about design, and an eagerness to take on a wide-ranging array of projects. The Studio works on projects across the world, dealing with a variety of different objectives, budgets and regulations. Adaptability is at the heart of every project we take on, large or small. Through effective planning and close collaboration with clients and stakeholders, we bring a high level of expertise to every part of the design process. The Studio’s work includes KISS for City of Milan, the Living Staircase for Ampersand in London, Paul Cocksedge’s recent acclaimed solo exhibition at the Friedman Benda Gallery in New York, as well as the launch of The Vamp®, which connects speakers with our new wireless technologies. Our clients include V&A, London Design Festival, NHS, Swarovski, BMW, Hermès, City of Lyon, Wellcome Trust, Sony and many more. Paul Cocksedge has won a number of awards and prizes for his designs and is invited to speak at key design events around the world.
www.paulcocksedgestudio.com
