Project: Atoll by Studio Myerscough

Morag Myerscough reveals how she and Luke Morgan designed a vibrant biophilic installation in a central London office tower studiomyerscough.com

- Morag Myerscough

GETTING STARTED

Morag Myerscough

The property developer British Land was the client for this project. They had appointed the architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris for the refurbishment of 1FA, a new retail, leisure and co-working space at 1 Finsbury Avenue in Broadgate, London. Their ambition was to establish a public route through the building, connecting Wilson Street with the Broadgate neighbourhood. I’ve worked with AHMM on many projects and they suggested me for this project to British Land.

A new atrium with floor dimensions for a café had been proposed, and I was asked to respond to the new space and café into my proposals. They requested that I look at the entire space and the journey from outside the building through the space, bringing the walls into it as well.

So that’s what I did – I responded to the space and thought carefully about how it could be occupied. I was born in London and Broadgate is in the heart of the city, so my knowledge of the city came into play. I wanted to make a brave piece, something that came from me and that I totally believed in. I did initial conceptual sketches and the response was an immediate ‘yes’ from British Land. I was overjoyed.

THE DESIGN EXECUTION

Morag Myerscough