Bloomberg European Headquarters Named UK’s Best New Building

“Once-in-a-generation project” awarded prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture

London — Bloomberg’s new European headquarters has been named the UK’s best new building by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) after an expert jury reached a “unanimous” decision. The prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize was awarded at a televised ceremony in London where the judges called the building a “once-in-a-generation project” that has “not just raised the bar for office design and city planning but smashed the ceiling.”

Conceived in collaboration with Foster + Partners, the building is the first wholly owned and designed Bloomberg building in the world and brings Bloomberg’s 4,000 London-based employees together in a dynamic, innovative workplace designed to inspire collaboration and to push the boundaries of sustainable office design.

The building achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating against the BREEAM sustainability assessment method, with a 98.5% score. This is the highest design-stage score ever achieved by any major office development and recognizes the development’s innovative environmental strategies, which deliver a 73% saving in water consumption and a 35% saving in energy consumption compared with a typical office building.

RIBA President Ben Derbyshire, said:

“After vigorous debate, the jury reached a unanimous decision – Bloomberg’s new European HQ is a monumental achievement. The creativity and tenacity of Foster + Partners and the patronage of Bloomberg have not just raised the bar for office design and city planning, but smashed the ceiling.”

Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, said:

“When we embarked on this project, we wanted to create a cutting-edge design that would push the boundaries of what an office building could be, which meant setting new standards for openness and sustainability. At the same time, we wanted to honor London’s history and contribute to its vitality. We knew that if we could achieve both objectives, we’d have a building that would inspire everyone who set foot inside it. This prize indicates that – thanks to the brilliant Norman Foster – we succeeded. And we’re grateful to everyone who worked so hard to bring it to life.”

Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners, said:

“From our first discussions to the final details of the project, Mike Bloomberg and I had a ‘meeting of minds’ on every aspect of the project – its sustainable focus, commitment to innovation and drive to create the best workplace for Bloomberg employees. The RIBA Stirling Prize is a testament to the incredible collaborative spirit that has underpinned the entire project from start to finish.”

The 2018 RIBA Stirling Prize judges, chaired by Sir David Adjaye OBE, said:

“Bloomberg is a once-in-a-generation project which has pushed the boundaries of research and innovation in architecture.

The design brief called for a building which could rise-up to the challenge of this loaded site and an information-driven environment. The architect worked exhaustively and collaboratively to design a building which perfectly responds to Bloomberg’s ambitions.

By building at a lower height than approved at planning, reserving parts of the site for public space, and using highly-detailed, handcrafted materials, Bloomberg shows a high level of generosity towards the City. This is a building of its place. Art has been commissioned as an integral part to enhance people’s experience of the spaces.

The design process involved unprecedented levels of research, innovation and experimentation, with pioneering new details and techniques tested, prototyped – sometimes at 1:1 scale – and rigorously improved.

The real success though is in the experience for staff, visitors or passers-by – how Bloomberg has opened up new spaces to sit and breathe in the City; the visceral impact of the roof-top view across to St Paul’s from the concourse space, the energy of descending the helix ramp or settling into a desk in one of the dynamic new workspaces.

This ground-breaking project demonstrates what is possible through close collaboration between highly-skilled, imaginative architects and a deadly sophisticated, civic-minded client. Bloomberg is an astounding commitment to quality architecture.”

Bloomberg was chosen as the 2018 RIBA Stirling Prize winner from the following outstanding shortlisted entries:

• Bushey Cemetery, Hertfordshire by Waugh Thistleton Architects
• Chadwick Hall, University of Roehampton, London by Henley Halebrown
• New Tate St Ives, Cornwall by Jamie Fobert Architects with Evans & Shalev
• Storey’s Field Centre and Eddington Nursery, Cambridge by MUMA
• The Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre, Worcester College, Oxford by Niall McLaughlin Architects