Extending buildings upwards usually means simply adding new levels on top of the existing ones. A building in London, however, is being extended by having another one on stilts sat on top of it. Heliport Heights will feature office spaces, new apartments and a refurbished existing building.
Gizmag has featured a number of constructions that use stilts, such as Shipley Architects' "Like a Houseboat" property and Casa Flotanta that "floats" above a Costa Rican hillside. According to project architects All Design, however, Heliport Heights will be the first time that an additional 15 levels are added to an existing four-story building using stilts in London.
The use of stilts in this way will mean that the tenants of the existing building can remain in situ while the work is carried out. The building will not only be notable for its use of stilts as part of the construction, however. A striking look will be created using a variety of aesthetic features.
The extended building will feature a curved and tapered tower at the top with multi-colored balconies and porthole-like windows. The stilts themselves are purple in the existing designs and the tower will be clad in weathered steel that will give it a reddish-brown rusty appearance. All Design hopes that the design elements will give the final building an elegant look and that the building will provide an iconic addition "to an area that has little visual amenity apart from the river."
Once completed, Heliport Heights will contain 14 apartments, each with two balconies and river views. The building will also feature two floors of offices, a penthouse, and garage parking for 15 vehicles. The ground floor will house a small gallery, whilst a stainless steel pod suspended from the overhang of the newly-added building will house a conference space that will be available to hire.
Finally, and in case you were wondering, Heliport Heights will not feature its own heliport. The building is so called due to its proximity to a neighboring heliport.
Source: All Design
