Westminster City Council | London, UK 2014 -

Located on the southern side of Leicester Square in Central London this complex design simultaneously resolves cultural and technical challenges. The structure will house a ticket office and a prominent external performance space for ‘red carpet’ public and promotional events. In addition, it will serve the ventilation requirements for a major underground electricity substation, all within one rhythmically composed building.

The exterior of the ticket office is defined by an array of gently twisting bronze columns that appear to shift and change as you move around it. The columns will also serve an important function given London’s climate: shelter from the rain for external areas for ticketing and information

Replacing an existing two-storey structure, the design and purpose of the project was inspired by both the local context and the energy requirements of the West End. The building respects and embraces the adjacent garden at the centre of the square, which is required by statute to provide ‘ornamental pleasure grounds or grounds for play, rest and recreation’.