Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron has unveiled new images of its first UK residential tower located in London's Canary Wharf district. Called 'One Park Drive', the 58-story building brings a unique vision and sets new standards for the 21st century urban living in Canary Wharf, which is specifically differentiated with its sculpted form.

One Park Drive will be Herzog & de Meuron's first residential building in the UK. The firm's design features three typologies in one tower. One Park Drive is a single building made up of three distinct typologies. Each typology evolved from a reexamination of city living, has its own distinct characteristics while also working together as a harmonious whole.

''One Park Drive has three distinct zones offering different types of accommodation, that are clearly expressed, offering a sense of individuality in a larger development,'' said Jacques Herzog of Herzog & de Meuron.

''Residential high rises are conventionally characterized by the negative qualities of sameness and too much repetition,'' added Jacques Herzog. 

The lower floors of One Park Drive feature the Loft apartments – some of the largest apartments with high ceilings and wrap-around terraces, which exploit the immediacy of the connection to the surrounding green spaces and the waterfront. 

The Cluster apartments form the heart of the building. Here, the floorplates are mirrored and rotated to create a rhythmic visual complexity, while still maintaining the clarity of the internal spaces. The lower levels are connected with the parks and the water; the higher floors are connected with the sky. The spiralling top of the building contains the Bay apartments. The orthogonal geometry of the apartments intersects the implicit curve of the building, creating the opportunity for double-height terraces which are recessed into the building. 

The design of the Bay apartments is focused on maximising light and the views across London. From the generous heights of the Loft through the intricate rhythm of the Cluster and to the concluding spiral of the Bay, the three typologies are distinct expressions within a single dramatic and harmonious architecture.

The tower includes 483 luxury apartments offering different unit typologies starting from studios to four-bedroom penthouses. This iconic model also provides communal spaces outside of the building and the reception, concierge, lounge, library and cinema are all on the ground floor. The first floor houses the exclusive health club which includes a 20-metre pool, gym, studio space and spa. Dramatic floor-to-ceiling glazing invites stunning views across the surrounding parks, gardens and water.

Canary Wharf Group, the managing company all of Canary Wharf Group’s construction projects, has officially announced that they start sales on the One Park Drive on May 4. 

The geometry of One Park Drive is expressed in the profile of the external facade for each typology. Additional complexity is created by the stacking, rotation and mirroring of individual floor plates. This gives varying aspects to each apartment type establishing individuality within a unified whole.

The terraces are naturally formed between the apartments’ enclosing walls and the outer edges of each floor plate, making them an intrinsic element of the apartment planning. One Park Drive presents itself as a unified sculptural form. The cladding of glazed fluted terracotta encloses the complex form of the different building sections in a single material. The fluting to the terracotta softens the external expression of the building whilst providing a tactile surface to the sheltering terrace walls.

''We look for materials that are as breathtakingly beautiful as the cherry blossoms in Japan or as condensed and compact as the rock formations of the Alps, or as enigmatic and unfathomable as the surfaces of the oceans,'' said Herzog & de Meuron.

''Canary wharf has always been pioneering in its approach to the built environment and urban design,'' added George Lacobescu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Canary Wharf Group. ''One park drive will become a fixture on the london skyline and this launch represents a rare and very limited opportunity for people to buy a home in London. this more than just a building, it is a piece of art.''

''The new tower will be both a symbol and the heart of the new urban quarter, an extension of a dynamic global community and the start of a new vibrant neighbourhood,'' said Herzog & de Meuron.

All images courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron/Canary Wharf Group

> via Canary Wharf Group