Renovated 6 Beavis Marks Will Feature Lush Rooftop Gardens in London

An outdated office building at <a href="http://www.fletcherpriest.com/6-Bevis-Marks/architecture/">6 Beavis Marks</a> in London will soon receive a major overhaul that includes a series of stepped rooftop gardens. London-based <a href="http://www.fletcherpriest.com/">Fletcher Priest Architects</a> will lead the renovation of the 16-storey office tower - reusing 50% of the building, they plan to maximize daylighting penetration, add a new public plaza on the ground floor, and install recycled glass windows on the facade. The <em>pièce de résistance</em> though will be the lush rooftop gardens covered in an ETFE structure, so visitors can enjoy London's skyline during any weather.

6 Beavis Marks was originally built in the 1980's, but has since become outdated and energy inefficient.

<a href="http://www.fletcherpriest.com/" target="_blank">Fletcher Priest Architects</a> have been tasked to overhaul the building and are designing a major renovation.

The new office tower will reuse and adapt the existing below ground structure, some 50% of the existing building.

This reduces embodied energy spent on new construction, saves existing materials and resources and results in less disturbance on the street level.

The 230,000 sqf (21,370 sqm) office building will also provide for a new public plaza and create improved connections with its neighbors.

Wall-to-wall depths will be optimized to achieve daylight penetration into the office space.

Then south facing balconies will cantilever to protect the interior from solar gain overlooking the new plaza below.

Recycled glass will be used for the windows, which will have a distinctly green tint compared to the clear transparency of the low iron windows.

Finally a series of stepped volumes will create 10,000 sqf (930 sqm) of private outdoor roof terraces.

Enjoying views of the city and especially the adjacent Swiss Re building, these rooftop gardens will be covered in a light and open, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETFE" target="_blank">ETFE</a>-clad structure to allow year-round use regardless of the weather.