Shortlisted in the MIXING category
One Crown Place revives an urban block on the City Fringe, with a complex mix of office, affordable office, hotel, residential and retail in a restored Georgian terrace, new building and 1970’s office (used for marketing and site office in the interim). A mix of old and new, with a range of uses, brings 24/7 activity to the site. The carefully scaled and shaped composition responds to the context with a material palette of brick and terracotta reflecting the character and diversity of Hackney. The development demonstrates how an intense mixed-use scheme can contribute to the urban fabric.

One Crown Place is a mixed-use development where the old and new form a dynamic city block. Rethinking the nature of the site, the scheme is activated on all sides by a diverse range of uses, including retail, boutique hotel, office space and residential. At the centre of the site, a new courtyard creates a focus and provides access to the residences, external dining space for the hotel, and amenity for office workers and members of the public.

The building height of the new-build elements ranges from mid to high-rise and distinctive facades both complement and contrast with the historical setting. The six-storey office podium relates to the adjacent low-rise buildings and, on Earl Street, incorporates the facade of a Victorian warehouse. The most visible element of the scheme, the residential towers, relate to the wider urban context and City fringe location. Bespoke screen-printed glass panels on the interior facades respond to the tradition of craft in Hackney, and were designed by KPF in collaboration with local artist Stig Evans.

One Crown Place is situated in a conservation area. As part of the project, a locally listed Georgian terrace designed by George Dance the Younger has been restored and refurbished. Part of this terrace will become a boutique hotel, 114 cover destination restaurant and private members’ club. The wider project also incorporates the retrofitting of a 1970s office block at 54 Wilson Street.

Retail spaces are loose-fit and flexible, with a Very Good BREEAM target. For the workplace areas, steel-framed podium floors allow flexible office arrangements with one or two tenants per floor, with an Excellent BREEAM target. Ten per cent all residential units are wheelchair adaptable. All fit- out is lightweight dry construction, allowing alternative internal planning at a future date.