Architect is third to work on Waterloo site
AHMM’s plans for Elizabeth House next to Waterloo Station have won consent.
Lambeth council’s planning applications committee unanimously voted in favour of developer HB Reavis’ scheme to replace the huge post-war office building on York Road.
AHMM is the third architect to work on the project in the past 10 years, after David Chipperfield and before that Allies & Morrison were both appointed and ultimately ditched.
The 29- and 10-storey Chipperfield scheme has planning consent but when the site was bought by HB Reavis in 2017 the firm conducted a review and decided to replace the proposed flats with offices.
It said flats would be too expensive to help London’s housing crisis and offices would be more appropriate next to the UK’s busiest station.
It held a competition to rethink the site featuring Chipperfield, BIG, Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners and Wilkinson Eyre which was won by AHMM with structural engineers Robert Bird Group.
>> Read more: Elizabeth House developer on hunt for more architects
>> Read more: AHMM’s plans for Elizabeth House site submitted for planning
Historic England and Westminster council launched legal challenges against previous proposals, claiming they would ruin the protected view from Parliament Square.
AHMM’s proposals aim to provide around 1.2m sq ft of office and retail space as well as substantial public realm.
The plans include a one-acre garden promenade directly connected to the station concourse.
A public route called Waterloo Curve will provide a new pedestrian street and will be lined with shops and cafes.
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