Addressing the need for resource-efficient urban growth, TBC.London presents a modern interpretation of the workspace, emphasising the adaptive reuse of existing structures. Developed by FORE Partnership and designed by Stiff+Trevillion, the project involved the repositioning of a 1990s building overlooking Tower Bridge in London. Its completion demonstrates an approach to blending contemporary commercial needs with established urban environments while reducing environmental impact.
Architectural approach
The architectural intervention at TBC.London focused on transforming the existing structure while respecting its historical context and maximising its functional potential. The building is located next to the Grade I listed Tower Bridge and the Grade II listed Accumulator Tower.
The architectural process involved stripping back the original structure to its concrete frame, then adding one to three new stepped storeys that create landscaped terraces. The new brick façade, hand-laid with 180,000 bricks, reflects explicitly the property’s position within the Tower Bridge Conservation Area, ensuring integration with the surrounding urban fabric. Internally, the cores were reduced from three to two and repositioned to enhance the openness of the internal floor plates.
Program and public engagement
The building program encompasses a provision of high-quality office space alongside flexible commercial and community-oriented areas. The project yields 10,220 square meters of Grade A office space, an increase of nearly 800 square meters over the original building. Additionally, some 2,000 square meters of flexible commercial space is available at the basement level.
The redesign also included reconfiguring the ground and first-floor frontages along both Tower Bridge Road and Horselydown Lane. This effort aimed to improve pedestrian engagement and enhance the public realm, laying the groundwork for better community integration.
Community amenities
Complementing its commercial functions, TBC.London incorporates amenities designed to serve both occupants and the wider local community. The ground and first floors will feature a 16,000 square foot food hall operated by Blend Family, hosting 13 street food partners. This venue is situated along Shad Thames. Next to the food hall, TBC.London also includes a 3,500 square foot Urban Village Hall, a versatile social and cultural space designed for community use, promoting interaction between occupants and the wider neighborhood.
Material repurposing and innovation
A central aspect of TBC.London's development involved a commitment to resource efficiency through specific material choices and the integration of advanced technologies. The project employed extensive material reuse strategies. About 40 tonnes of 1930s structural steel beams, salvaged from a former department store on Oxford Street, were reintegrated into TBC.London. This makes up approximately 20 percent of the total steel used in the project; the remaining steel framing contains at least 56 percent recycled content.
Technologies used to improve environmental performance include BioMason tiles, manufactured with a bacterial process to lower production energy; Aerobarrier, an advanced air-sealing system designed to enhance the building envelope's airtightness; and Airlite paint, a mineral-based coating formulated to improve indoor air quality.
Building performance
Its operational characteristics and industry certifications define the completed building's performance. The building's operations are entirely electric, helping to reduce operational carbon emissions. It has achieved several certifications, such as BREEAM, and the operational carbon is calculated at 31.5 kWh per square meter (based on gross internal area), and the embodied carbon is below 350 kg per square meter.
