Architecture

Heliport Heights will use purple stilts to sit on top of an existing building

Heliport Heights will use purple stilts to sit on top of an existing building
Heliport Heights will use stilts to extend an existing building by sitting on top of it
Heliport Heights will use stilts to extend an existing building by sitting on top of it
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Heliport Heights will use stilts to extend an existing building by sitting on top of it
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Heliport Heights will use stilts to extend an existing building by sitting on top of it
According to All Design, Heliport Heights will be the first time that an additional 15 levels are added to an existing four-story building using stilts in London
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According to All Design, Heliport Heights will be the first time that an additional 15 levels are added to an existing four-story building using stilts in London
The extended building will feature a curved and tapered tower at the top with multi-colored balconies and porthole-like windows
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The extended building will feature a curved and tapered tower at the top with multi-colored balconies and porthole-like windows
The stilts themselves are purple in the existing designs and the tower will be clad in weathered steel
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The stilts themselves are purple in the existing designs and the tower will be clad in weathered steel
A stainless steel pod will be suspended from the overhang of the newly-added building and used as a conference space
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A stainless steel pod will be suspended from the overhang of the newly-added building and used as a conference space
All Design says the project marks the beginning of the redevelopment of the South Bank area of the Thames that it occupies
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All Design says the project marks the beginning of the redevelopment of the South Bank area of the Thames that it occupies
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Extending buildings upwards usually means simply adding new levels on top of the existing ones. A building in London, however, is being extended by having another one on stilts sat on top of it. Heliport Heights will feature office spaces, new apartments and a refurbished existing building.

Gizmag has featured a number of constructions that use stilts, such as Shipley Architects' "Like a Houseboat" property and Casa Flotanta that "floats" above a Costa Rican hillside. According to project architects All Design, however, Heliport Heights will be the first time that an additional 15 levels are added to an existing four-story building using stilts in London.

The use of stilts in this way will mean that the tenants of the existing building can remain in situ while the work is carried out. The building will not only be notable for its use of stilts as part of the construction, however. A striking look will be created using a variety of aesthetic features.

The stilts themselves are purple in the existing designs and the tower will be clad in weathered steel
The stilts themselves are purple in the existing designs and the tower will be clad in weathered steel

The extended building will feature a curved and tapered tower at the top with multi-colored balconies and porthole-like windows. The stilts themselves are purple in the existing designs and the tower will be clad in weathered steel that will give it a reddish-brown rusty appearance. All Design hopes that the design elements will give the final building an elegant look and that the building will provide an iconic addition "to an area that has little visual amenity apart from the river."

A stainless steel pod will be suspended from the overhang of the newly-added building and used as a conference space
A stainless steel pod will be suspended from the overhang of the newly-added building and used as a conference space

Once completed, Heliport Heights will contain 14 apartments, each with two balconies and river views. The building will also feature two floors of offices, a penthouse, and garage parking for 15 vehicles. The ground floor will house a small gallery, whilst a stainless steel pod suspended from the overhang of the newly-added building will house a conference space that will be available to hire.

Finally, and in case you were wondering, Heliport Heights will not feature its own heliport. The building is so called due to its proximity to a neighboring heliport.

Source: All Design

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6 comments
6 comments
Wombat56
I wonder what kind of nick name this building will end up with? I'd like to suggest "the Corn Cob".
But seriously, I've always thought that the air space above existing cities was one of our biggest wasted resources. This includes the air over major highways, large shopping complexes and their car parks, railway marshaling yards etc.
John Higgs
If they used the exiting foundations to support the structure then this type of renovation or upgrade has been going on since 1992 in Australia Sydney 2000. Most of the floor extensions are usually hidden behind existing façades. Myers building in Melbourne is a good example There are about 2 to 4 buildings upgraded using existing foundation structure each year. typically extensions go from 12 to 15 floors. Its become an art form.
Mel Tisdale
If having a rusty look is now considered elegant, perhaps I can sell my old car for a premium.
Any who are up to date with the latest methane release situation in the Artic will understand that this is likely to be only the first of many London buildings that are going to need stilts, and a mooring post.
Stephen N Russell
export this to the States CA HI NV MI CT GA LA TN KY MD alone Awesome idea Must for LA CA, NYC, Boston, Miami, Denver, Seattle, Tuscon, DFW, Houston, Memphis.
the.other.will
The nickname "Corn Cob" is in use for the Marina City complex in Chicago. Of course, it can be used more than once. The innovation here is to build higher where the foundation and/or structure of the original building is inadequate to support additional levels.
JPAR
I hope this isn't deemed inappropriate, but looking at the pictures, I think this building will be nicknamed 'the turd'