ICE London Civil Engineering Awards 2013
The Crystal
Building Engineer: Arup
Client: Siemens PLC
Lead consultant and interior designer: Pringle Brandon Perkins + Will
Shell and core architecture: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Project Manager and cost consultant: Turner & Townsend
ISG: Mike Jenner
Images 1, 2 and 3 © Edmund Sumner. Images 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 © Arup
Located in the heart of the Royal Docks, The Crystal is the first building to be designed and built within the Green Enterprise District that comprises six east London boroughs. The Crystal is a response to a unique and complex brief that encompassed designing a spectacular building to include high-specification offices and conferencing facilities. Founded by Siemens this stunning building will also act as an international centre of excellence for sustainability.
The 6,300 sq m building has been designed to be one of the world’s greenest buildings and to achieve the highest international sustainability credentials for a building; BREEAM Outstanding and LEED Platinum. A key requirement in the brief was to ensure the building would operate exclusively on electricity. Another key objective is for The Crystal to serve as a centre to encourage debate on the future of our planet. The Crystal is home to Siemens’ Global Centre of Sustainable Cities”, a team of multi-disciplinary urban experts, who aim to encourage the growth of green cities through partnerships, research and collaboration.
In close vicinity to the Royal Victoria Dock, the hybrid corporate HQ is open to the public as well as serving as a workplace and venue to host conferences. The 270 seat auditorium, exhibition spaces, office space, electric vehicle recharging points and a café acts as a tourist destination and as an exemplar showcasing green technology and a catalyst for regeneration. The Crystal is exemplar of urban sustainability and is a workplace designed to use natural light, multifunctional space and creates a special ambience for working, engendering a culture of innovation, research and development leading to new innovation in green technology. Only 10% of the water used within the building will be sourced from the public main. This is due to the innovation in the rainwater harvesting and black water treatment.
The design of the structural frame accommodates the complex geometry of the building while minimising the use of steel. The slender frame provides flexibility within the internal space using long spans where required and avoiding intrusive cross bracing. The steelwork was cut using CNC techniques and prefabricated in elegant tapering forms complementing the architecture and maximising the efficient use of materials.
Six different types of glass have been used on the façade, each one varying in opacity and transparency at various locations. Varying opacity, orientation and angle towards the sun determines how and where light enters the building whilst ensuring that solar gain is controlled; thus the design maximises daylight when required, limits reliance on artificial lighting and reduces energy needed to cool or heat the building. The external cladding envelope performs at the designed angles to take on board horizontal, vertical and lateral deflection therefore achieving the dramatic form to remain true to the original concept. The Crystal is a significant contribution to the Royal Docks and will act as a catalyst to enable wider regeneration objectives to be met.
Gracefully located by the waterside and against a world famous London skyline, The Crystal is a remarkable achievement and beautifully illustrates the symbiosis of architecture, design, engineering and technology.
Click here to return to the shortlist