UNStudio's design for the tower, which is located in the London borough of Islington, incorporates the remodeling of the facade, a streamlining of the building's mass and a contrasting of scale and detail untypical of a residential tower. The facade for the Canaletto tower was designed to emphasize its residential character and to define a distinct Islington response.
The materialisation of the facade draws from examples of detailing and the contrasting of materials that is readily expressed in product or furniture design. The modelling of the balconies within each grouped cluster lends variability to the facade and the living experience for the residents in the building. Outdoor spaces play a large role in the enjoyment of living environments. Therefore the attention to creating unique, sheltered spaces of high quality was a driver in early design development. The aspect of using both textured and smooth materials contrasts with the expected contemporariness of a typical high-rise metal construction and lends this facade a residential 'twist'.
The elevation additionally offers sustainability benefits. The surface modelling creates opportunities for shading, balancing good internal daylight and views with reduced heat gains. The articulation of the facade will additionally reduce wind down drafts and, in combination with canopy proposals at the base of the building, provide an improved pedestrian microclimate. A landscaped garden on Wharf Road provides access to the residential lobby, whilst the ground floor garden provides an attractive entrance and a green oasis off the busy City Road.
Axis Architects, Bespoke Builder Services Ltd, Buro Four, Buro Happold Ltd, Churchman Landscape Architects Limited, David Bonnetts Associates, E C Harris LLP, eb7 - chartered surveyors and environmental consultants, Gerald Eve LLP, Greenhatch Group Ltd, Hoare Lea, Lighting Design International, PLP Architecture, Raw Corporate Health Ltd Management Company, Richard Coleman Consultancy, RWDI Anemos Ltd, SKM Colin Buchanan, UNStudio (public/amenity areas), Des Sources (Level 24 Lounge), apartment interiors by Johnson Naylor LLP, Goddard Littlefair and Waldo Works, URS Scott Wilson Ltd, URS/ Scott Wilson