Towers that give something back

Start at the ground

Most people never go to the top of a tower. They meet it at the bottom. So the base matters most.

• A generous podium. At The Beacon, curving, planted terraces step down from the tower to the street.
• Active edges. Shops, cafés and lobbies visible from the pavement make a street, not a wall.
• Shelter. Arcades, canopies and trees give shade in the sun and cover in the rain.
• Clear entrances. Each use, whether hotel, homes or offices, has its own entrance, and none is hidden at the back.

Shape the sky

A tower is seen from far away, and it forms part of the skyline.

• Slender forms let more light reach the ground and the neighbours.
• A considered crown gives the tower an ending, so it is recognisable and does not just stop. At Alexandria Tower the top has a ring of slender fins that catch the sunset.
• Pattern with a reason. At The Jewel of Cleopatra and The Tower, a diagonal lattice carries the structure and gives shade, so the pattern does work as well as decoration.

A tower is seen from far away, and it forms part of the skyline.

Make the climate bearable

A seafront tower faces sun, wind and salt. We use deep planted terraces, fins and shading, and shape the form to calm the wind at street level. See also Building on the sea.

Mix the uses

Our tower concepts are hotel towers with mixed uses. Mixing uses keeps a tower alive through the day and the evening, with guests, residents, workers and visitors all using the same base. Each use needs its own lifts, entrances and services, so they do not get in each other's way. See also Towers and mixed-use.

Give the public something

A public terrace, a garden, a café or a view that everyone can reach is a gift to the city. A tower that offers one earns its place.

Keep it human

Tall buildings can feel remote. We bring human detail to the lower floors: planting, warm materials, seating and light. The best towers are as pleasant to walk past as they are impressive from afar.

Questions we ask

• What does this tower give the street?
• How does it look from a distance, and from the pavement?
• What does it do to the light and wind around it?
• Who uses it, and when?
• Will it still seem right in fifty years?

Our towers are concept designs, and the images on our site are visualisations (see our Disclaimers). Real towers need specialist structural, fire, wind and façade engineering and approvals.

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