Siemens Urban Center

URBAN SUSTAINABILITY CENTRE

“It is a clear sign of the confidence in London’s ability to nurture and support eco-enterprises that Siemens has chosen to locate its flagship centre of sustainability here in the UK capital. The Siemens Centre is set to sit at the heart of a brand new Green Enterprise District, which will sweep across east of the city. We envisage that the district will be a vibrant, international hub incubating dozens of low carbon businesses.”

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

Wilkinson Eyre Architects

The Siemens Urban Sustainability Centre in the heart of London’s Docklands will be an

iconic building providing a place for community enjoyment as well as promoting education

and learning in the fields of science, engineering, technology and sustainability. It will

demonstrate Siemens’ commitment to creating sustainable cities and will attract not

only major City planners and officials, but also members of the local community and

educational groups, from school children to post graduate level students. It is envisaged

that the centre will attract approximately 100,000 visitors every year.

Siemens is committed to the development of new technologies and the centre will give

visitors an opportunity to learn about technological solutions to urban challenges such

as climate change and urban sustainability. The exhibition area is designed to make

these topics exciting and tangible and to give context to the learning in the classroom.

The building itself will showcase sustainable technologies and will demonstrate

excellence in sustainable construction (targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent and an EPC “A”

rating’). The building will also provide office space for around 250 Siemens employees

and there will be a state of the art 300 seat auditorium as well as a shop, restaurant and

café facilities.


View from Royal Victoria Dock looking West

“Our aim is to create an attractive focal point that celebrates London’s ambition and leadership in green technologies and sustainability. Siemens is at the heart of providing sustainable solutions, from renewable energy generation to low-carbon transport and urban infrastructure. I hope the Siemens Centre will act as a catalyst for wider community involvement in the debate about how we best address the challenge of climate change in our cities.”

Andreas J Goss, Chief Executive, Siemens plc & Cluster North West Europe


“Nowhere else in the UK is undergoing transformation on the scale of Newham. London is moving East and there is huge potential here for investment, growth and greater prosperity. I am delighted a huge blue-chip organisation such as Siemens has recognised this.”

Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham

View from Western Gateway Road

View towards main entrance

“The crystalline geometry of the architecture derives its inspiration from nature. The building responds to its location, visually contrasting the curve of the O2 Centre beyond. The massing of the two interlocking triangular forms generates an exciting and dynamic building from every angle as you move around the site.”

Chris Wilkinson, Founding Director of Wilkinson Eyre Architects

The proposal comprises two crystals - the exhibition and office/conference volumes respectively.

We have developed the form into a pair of parallelograms or ‘crystals’ that are themselves broken

into a series of triangulated facets to form the facades. The facets create a very distinctive

crystalline form, composed of a series of planar components. The sketches shown on the opposite

page show some of the development of the crystalline form.

The facets each have a different orientation, and so will reflect the light differently, creating a

dynamic, exciting form from every angle. Taking cues from the mirrored surface of the dock, the

form is therefore considered as a dynamic and reciprocal reflection of its setting.

View towards main entrance Wilkinson Eyre Architects


West elevation


East elevation

The fundamental driver for this project is to become an exemplar in sustainable

construction, through the intelligent integration of building structure, fabric and

services as a series of coordinated active systems working together. Through design

the building will reduce energy consumption and where energy is required as much as

possible will be taken from the surrounding site in the form of renewables. The project

will bring together both current established best practice systems, such as photo-voltaic

cells, solar thermal water heating, rainwater harvesting and ground source heat-pumps,

together with developing technologies in heat recovery such as ‘thermal wheels’.

Wherever possible the building systems will be visible elements of both the architecture

and exhibition strategies. This has the opportunity of providing a ‘free exhibition’ that

tells visitors how the building works and how the building systems adapt to changing

seasonal and climatic conditions.

The building will operate with a mixed mode ventilation strategy. Where seasonally

possible, it will be naturally ventilated in both the office and exhibition crystals, using

opening vents in the facades and roofs. When required, perhaps because of acoustic

requirements, or because of large capacity events in summer months for example,

a mechanical ventilation system can be used. These systems will be optimised using

advanced Building Management System. The only public space that would always be

mechanically ventilated will be the auditorium due to its acoustic requirements.


View from Silvertown looking East

The key objectives for the landscape design are to;

• reinforce the identity of the centre by creating a highly attractive and desirable location and a

destination to visit

• foster an awareness by inspiring people to think about their ecological footprint through

innovative design and community involvement

• enhance the visual quality of the scheme to enable visitors to understand where they are and

create a place of interest and activity, ensuring it becomes a landmark in its own right

• develop a high quality, durable materials palette to ensure the longevity and attractiveness of

the scheme

• work with the local community and other stakeholders to develop long term plans with a clear

vision for future needs

• consider from the outset of the design process how the landscape will be managed and

maintained in the long term

• create places that are inherently flexible, taking account of the future impacts of climate

change and adaptation measures that may need to be retrofitted

• consider the implementation of water management and recycling schemes.

Townshend

Pringle Brandon

View along internal street looking East

Ground floor planPringle Brandon

The inherent connection between the ground floor and the adjacent public realm

areas is capitalised upon by providing an active frontage to the Eastern edge of

the building. The exhibition hall in the north crystal can be viewed through the

prominent facades on this side.

In the South crystal a lively cafe facility runs along the length of the water-facing

elevation. On the less prominent facades, to the West and South, back of house

and support functions are located.

The North and South crystals are separated by a generous street, which is typically

to be accessed by the public from the East and by staff and corporate visitors from

the West. The main reception at the centre of this street provides a key orientation

point. From here, there are views into the exhibition hall to the North, while the

expressed volume of the auditorium will create a focal point within the corporate

crystal.

View of caféPringle Brandon

First floor plan

Pringle Brandon

The key function for the first floor is the corporate conference suite set out along

the East facing wing of the South crystal. This provides high quality board room

and meeting room facilities with views out over the dock to the East. This facility is

supplemented with an accessible roof terrace and a small area of secure client office

space with West and South facing views.

View along corridor on first floor outside meeting roomsPringle Brandon

Pringle Brandon

“Cities are responsible for 75% of the world’s energy use and produce more than 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Given that the proportion of the world’s population living in cities is increasing, it will be cities that determine whether we successfully make the shift to more sustainable living.

“The centre will be an iconic building at the heart of London’s Green Enterprise District showcasing and explaining green technology, how it impacts on people’s lives in the present day and the potential we have to create more sustainable living over the next 10-20 years.”

Chris Brandon, Partner, Pringle BrandonSecond floor - view into offices

Second floor plan

Pringle Brandon

The second floor of the South crystal accommodates open plan office areas.

Workstations on the East wing will have views out over the dock, those to the West

wing will have views to Canary Wharf and the O2 Centre. All workstations are to

benefit from natural daylight. At the centre of the plan, daylight penetration will

be enhanced with skylights.

Section through auditoriumPringle Brandon

Pringle Brandon

Internal street view

Document sign off sheet

Printed May 10 20100506-E02KF_StageB_Brief_Draft

Signed off by project team

Wilkinson Eyre•Architects

Name Name Name Name Name

For and on behalf of Pringle Brandon LLP For and on behalf of Wilkinson Eyre Architects For and on behalf of Arup MEP For and on behalf of Land Design Studio

For and on behalf of Turner&Townsend Cost Management

Date: Date: Date: Date: Date:

Sign off by the Client

Name Date

For and on behalf of the Client

For further information:

Anne KeoghHead of External RelationsSiemens plce: [email protected]: 01276 696312

Documents

Siemens Urban Center