CRITICAL

APPRECIATION

CHINMAY TIRTHAKAR
ELECTIVE B
3 R D SEMESTER
PIADS, NAGPUR
CANNON PLACE, LONDON, ENGLAND
• About Building
Cannon Place is an office building built over Cannon
Street Railway Station. It is a exposed structure building
designed by Foggo Associate Architects in the year
2011. It is a 8 Storey building with the build-up area of
around 37,000 m².

Source : https://www.arup.com/projects/cannon-place
CANNON PLACE, LONDON, ENGLAND
• Function
The main idea behind designing this building was to make the best
use of the free space available on the site. The building is designed
in such a way that it offers 4,500 m² of well organized and virtually
column-free space with ample amount of light ventilation. The
building has dual-purpose as the upper 8 floor provides premium
office space while the ground floor has one of the busiest railway
station in England.

Source : https://www.laingorourke.com/our-projects/all-projects/cannon-place.aspx
CANNON PLACE, LONDON, ENGLAND
• Form
The form of the building is easily readable as the building is
cuboidal in shape covering almost 95 % of the site area. The
building is solid in mass without any void or pocket space in it.
The height of building is 20 times to that of average human height.
The Cannon Place is having exposed steel structure which not
only gives it structural support but also give it a good aesthetic
look by making a rhythm, as their is repetition of beams and
column at regular interval.

Source : Google Earth

CANNON PLACE, LONDON, ENGLAND
• Structure
The structure of building is exoskeleton as the fully glazed curtain
wall is placed inside the structural frame, Its structural system
consists of beam, column and box section X-Frame. The structural
load of the building is divided into 5 parts, with three of them 21m
wide and the other two 12m wide. The X-Frame structure with
glazed wall at the back gives good aesthetic look, making the
building both structure and architecture dominant.

Source : www.ice.com
CANNON PLACE, LONDON, ENGLAND
• Space
As the complete load is carried by exoskeleton structure The
Cannon Place provides flexible amount of column free space,
with rooms and offices in ranges of sizes. The Cannon Place not
only provided enough interior space but also provides large
amount of exterior space which is formed by the two cantilevers
which are provided on north and south direction. Being a
enclosed space the large glazed windows gives the sense of
open space with sufficient amount of light ventilation.

Source : HinesGlobal/youtube.com
CANNON PLACE, LONDON, ENGLAND
• Siting
The site is located next to the Cannon Street, which is near to
the well known London bridge in England. The site is having
clear view of the Iconic St. Paul Cathedral. Near to the building
their are many cafes and restaurants. For travel, London
Heathrow Airport is the nearest to the Cannon Place.

Source : HinesGlobal/youtube.com
CANNON PLACE, LONDON, ENGLAND
• Thoughts
1. The building being too wide in dimensions, it some
what lack the light ventilation in its centre portion,
so their could have been courtyard or Pocket
space in centre so that the light could have
reached in every portion of the building.
2. The building and site lacks vegetation, so their
should have been, trees in order to cool and clean
the air.
3. The station on ground floor is having less floor to
ceiling height  as compared to other station so it
should be increased, which will also increase the
volume of space.
FORUM ATMOSPHERE, KOLKATA, INDIA
• About Building
Forum Atmosphere, located in Kolkata is one of India's luxurious
residential building. Designed by ARC Studio, the Atmosphere
consists of India's first floating sky sculpture. It is 152m high 39
Storey residential building. The project covers an area around
12,000 m² .

Source : https://www.instagram.com/forum_atmosphere_/
FORUM ATMOSPHERE, KOLKATA, INDIA
• Function
The 39 Storey Atmosphere not only has apartment but also has a
recreational club 120m above the ground. The basic idea behind
designing the building was to create diversity in function and carve out
the maximum possible space. Along with various functions The
Atmosphere also fits according to ancient Indian Belief that is Vaastu.
The floating recreational club includes infinity pool, garden, cafe,
gaming room, club house and various other activities.

Source : https://www.instagram.com/doc_debabrata_naskar/
FORUM ATMOSPHERE, KOLKATA, INDIA
• Form

The form of the building is quite complex but

easily readable as it consists of two tall building
structure separated at a distance and a floating
cloud like structure in between them which is
120m above the ground. This project was
inspired by Marina Bay Sands which is a resort
in Singapore. In the build form their is void in
between the two tall structure below the floating
structure which decreases the mass of the
building. The building is almost 80 times to that
of average human height.
FORUM ATMOSPHERE, KOLKATA, INDIA
• Structure
The structure of two vertical towers consists of concrete beams and
columns. While the floating structure or sky bridge is made-up of
steel trusses  in the shape of cloud. Later it is covered by
perforated aluminum panels to make it light in weight so that towers
can withstand against its weight. The perforated aluminum panels
not only contributes in decreasing the weight but also helps in
decreasing the wind pressure. Even though it have complex
structure the building is architecture dominant. 

Source : https://www.instagram.com/webstructures/?hl=en
FORUM ATMOSPHERE, KOLKATA, INDIA
• Space
As the main idea behind designing the building itself was to carve
out the maximum possible space available, the houses and
recreational club are spacious. The floating structure may give a
good aesthetic look to the building, but a lot of space below it is of
no use. Below it only on the ground floor the vegetation is grown
rest all space is a large void. Inside the floating sculpture no
negative space is been created, as it is having various amenities
inside it as well as over it.

Source : https://www.instagram.com/worldofkolkata/?hl=en
FORUM ATMOSPHERE, KOLKATA, INDIA
• Siting
The site is located near the EM Bypass, which provides easy
connectivity to all major points in Kolkata. The site is having easy
access to school, shopping areas, hospitals, and several other
public place. For travel, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
International Airport is nearest to the Building.

Source : https://www.instagram.com/the__sharmajii/
FORUM ATMOSPHERE, KOLKATA, INDIA
• Thoughts
The building gives good aesthetic look but a lot of space
is being wasted below the floating structure so it could
have been used as a connecting link between the two
building or few more apartment could have added their.
The white aluminum panel covering to the floating
structure not only make it look like a cloud but also helps
in passing the air through out the structure. So this
shows the how proper was the material selection
Vegetation is added in at least one balcony of each
apartment, along with the site and floating structure,
which is a positive point making it a green building.
THANK YOU
Source
https://www.archdaily.com/
https://www.wikipedia.org/
https://www.foggo.com/
http://www.forumatmosphere.com/
https://arcstudio.com.sg/

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