The 19-storey Moor House office development was designed to provide the maximum possible area of high quality lettable office and retail space, while bridging distinct parts of the City of London and acting as a catalyst for their regeneration.
Moor House is a 19-storey, glass-clad office building situated at the junction of London Wall and Moorgate. The site occupies a pivotal point between the rectilinear grid of streets to the north and west with mainly post-war developments and the more varied street plan to the south and east with historical buildings and narrower streets. Moor House is a bridge between these distinct sections of the City of London and will act as a landmark in a district that is in need of regeneration.
The south façade follows the curve of the existing pavement and sweeps around to the north east corner, creating a generous open space at the heart of a busy shopping area. At ground and first floor levels, the building is given over to shops, restaurants and bars. The façade is stepped back at these levels creating a covered walkway that relates to the height of the low-level buildings opposite and to the 'human' scale of the immediate environment.
In response to the smaller scale of the listed buildings in the surrounding area, the building is reduced in height towards Moorfields and the east by means of a dramatic sweeping curve, part façade and part roof that echoes the curve of the main façade. These two curved elevations combine to create a highly original and distinctive form.
The service areas are housed in a central core, allowing for efficient and highly flexible office space in keeping with current requirements. This arrangement also frees up the façade, giving views out to the City from each side of the building.
