5 Aldermanbury Square

Eric Parry Architects’ office building at 5 Aldermanbury Square squeezes into a difficult urban site, bordered on the east by the square, by Wood Street to the west and by Terry Farrell’s Alban Gate building to the north.

At ground floor level, double height colonnades form a covered link between Wood Street and the square, acting as a pleasant courtyard attached to a retail unit. Sculpted stone benches and two large water features enliven the public space. The building’s main reception flanks this courtyard and is lined by a woven textile wall through the full width of the building.

Externally, the double height ordering of the façade, expressed in stainless steel paneling, recalls the classical architecture of George Dance’s terraced housing that formerly edged the square. It also has the effect of diminishing the apparent height of the building when observed from neighboring streets.