This high-rise building (the top floor with a panoramic hall has reached a height of 75 m) is located in the City, in the heart of the historic quarter. At this place, in St. Sweetin Lane, the bank of the Rothschild family has been located since the beginning of the 19th century.
The new building, the 4th in a row, is fully glazed and tapered at ground level, allowing pedestrians to see through the volume of the lobby the neighboring St. Stephen Walbrook Church, built by Christopher Wren. All previous buildings of the bank covered the temple from the side of the alley, so it can be considered that OMA restored the perspective of 200 years ago.
The bulk of the building is located above a small first level: it is a rectangular volume with 10 floors of free-plan offices, completed by a garden-terrace on the roof. Its dark facades are enlivened by the "pattern" of the steel trusses of the frame. Attached to it are three light gray glass vertical blocks - with stairs and elevators, a gym and a dining room. The composition of the building is completed by the "Heavenly Pavilion" raised on pillars with two levels of double-height rooms - for negotiations and board meetings, as well as for various events; from there you can see the St. Paul's Cathedral and the panorama of the City.
The silhouette of the new building echoes the proportions of the bell tower of the Rena church. The modest appearance of the headquarters has already been noted by critics, who saw this as a reflection of the restraint and adherence to tradition that characterize N M Rothschild & Sons. The story of the family business is told by the reading and exhibition halls located on one of the upper floors. Their walls are decorated with large portraits of representatives of the Rothschild family of the 19th century, clearly visible from the outside at night, when the interior is well lit.
N. F.
