Dowen Farmer Architects has revealed its design for an unusual cuboid building in London. Assuming it goes ahead as planned, the Portal Way project will feature an eye-catching metallic mesh facade and will be used primarily to host commercial kitchen facilities.
The project, which brings to mind recent Pritzker Prize-winner David Chipperfield's Amorepacific Headquarters, is slated for a prominent site in North Acton, London.
We've no word yet on its exact height, but it will be a mid-rise or high-rise building with a dozen floors, including a two-story podium, so it'll be substantial but not very tall. Its interior will measure 28,000 sq m (roughly 300,000 sq ft). Most of the floorspace will be taken up by commercial kitchens used for preparing food to be delivered to restaurants and directly to customers, with the designers likening the bustling kitchens and movement of food up and down elevators to Harry Potter's Ministry of Magic.
Elsewhere, the ground floor will contain restaurant and retail space, plus there will also be multiple outdoor areas, including a rooftop terrace.
"A ground floor of permeable public realm, street vendors and café space, with 260 kitchens sat at the upper levels. Providing 1,200 jobs for the local area," said Dowen Farmer. "A new building typology looking to reinvent the way urban environments operate from a food development, delivery and production standpoint."
Portal Way will boast some sustainability features to reduce its carbon footprint too. Alongside its use of greenery, which will help to enliven the uniform appearance of the metallic facade, the building will promote cross-ventilation on the lower floors. Additionally, solar panels will be installed on the rooftop to reduce its grid-based energy usage and rainwater will be collected – likely for irrigation needs but this has not been revealed yet.
There's no date yet on when Portal Way is expected to be completed, however plans have been submitted to the authorities.
Source: Dowen Farmer Architects