21 Moorfields

Cundall is delighted to be involved with Land Securities on the exciting 21 Moorfields project bringing high quality retail and office space to the heart of the City of London.

The strategic acquisition by Land Securities of the 21 Moorfields site creates a 2 acre development in one of London’s busiest commuter hubs. This ambitious commercial project will include approx. 50,000m² of upscale shops and offices with improved pedestrian permeability via a reconfigured Highwalk and a new public square with improved landscaping. The site will appeal to retailers and businesses with the arrival of Crossrail dramatically increasing capacity and improving accessibility to the area, which is conveniently located directly over Moorgate underground station and immediately adjacent to the western entrance of Liverpool Street Crossrail Station.

This enterprising development over London’s transport infrastructure presents some unique engineering challenges involving listed buildings, local conservation areas and the sinking of a number of large piles on either side of the rail tracks. The limited space for laying new foundations means that the resulting structure will be more akin to a bridge straddling this busy transport artery with the shops and offices in the buildings resting above.

The structure itself has been designed as two buildings, east and west, both connected at the podium level and complemented by the unique large steel trusses of the building’s east façade. The main accommodation will start at the first floor level where the main entrances to the two new office buildings and ancillary retail  are located, around a new square which links into the Barbican High Walk network.

21 Moorfields is a pioneering project under the Better Buildings Partnership’s Design for Performance Scheme. Cundall developed the Design for Performance energy modelling for the design. The Design for Performance modelling was then used to inform the controls strategy for the project.

The simulation model provides a basis to optimise the design further as the tenant fitout design develops. Monitoring post completion closes the loop to ensure the operational performance aligns with the design intention for the project.