

This is a terrific infill project by Bureau de Change (architect) for HGG London (developer). It's a five-storey mixed-use development in London's Fitzrovia neighborhood.
The design ambition was to respect the area's history, materiality, and proportions, but also create something entirely new. The result is a blue clay (brick) facade that transforms and looks like this:

And it was done by inventing a collection of misshapen blocks -- 44 of them to be exact. Over 5,000 blocks were ultimately used for the facade and it was assembled on site using a 1:1 printed template. Each block came with a set of instructions.

There's something nice about working at this scale and being able to get into this level of detail. It's 21st century craftsmanship (the entire facade was modeled in 3D before it was built).
If you'd like to learn more about The Interlock, click here. All photos by Gilbert McCarragher.


I took the above photo this afternoon. The building on the left is 15 Union Square West in New York City.
It’s a re-cladding of a late 19th century building that was originally constructed for Tiffany & Company. The building’s original cast-iron arches were preserved and set behind new black framed, double insulated, laminated glass panels.
The arches aren’t that noticeable during the day, but at night they can really stand out. Click here for a few other photos and to see what that looks like.
Front Inc. designed the framing systems. If you aren’t familiar with Front, you should check them out. They are a leading design and facade consultancy.