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March 2nd, 2000
PLANNING COMMITTEE SECRETARY'S OFFICE
992210 REF.
The proposed development consisting of six floor levels of office accommodation and two levels of basement car parking will be built to a high standard in a single construction phase.
The building is designed with confidence and optimism expressed with a clear and coherent structure in a contemporary style of architecture. Other equally important issues have been addressed - respect for the character of a place, the quality of life and the ability to readily adapt space in the working environment, the questions of appropriate and easily maintained detailing as well as energy conservation.
The scheme consists of three self contained wings of offices each with its own dedicated entrance. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company propose to occupy a portion of the building as its headquarters. The remainder of the building will attract both local businesses and satisfy fresh demand. Dependant on the requirements, each office wing is designed with flexibility to function either as a self contained unit or alternatively divisible for multi - tenancy occupation.
The Steam Packet site lies on the edge of the old town at the entrance to the Inner Harbour. The site is currently occupied by the functionally inadequate Company head office built in 1969 together with a number of now redundant ancillary warehouses.
Part of the site lies on reclaimed land over the original Circus beach, so named from the posters advertising the permanent circus which occupied portion of the site before the turn of the Twentieth Century. The southern extremity of what is believed to be the Pollock Rocks extend under the northern portion of the site.
During the clearances around 1930's many of the bonded warehouses, inns, taverns and coffee houses bounding the site were demolished to make way for the town's first car park and bus station. Remnants of the cleared sites and a number of other now redundant buildings remain paving the way for the regeneration of this important area of Douglas.
To the North of the Steam Packet site is Peveril Square - the focal point for generations of visitors disembarking from the ferries. The square was named after the former Peveril Hotel built in the 1870's. The hotel was demolished in the 1980's and later replaced by the Peveril
office building. Facing Peveril Square is the Sea Terminal opened in 1965 and a fine example of the architecture of the period.
Historically Douglas old town is a grain of lineal spaces between buildings which follow street patterns. The urban context is that of diversity - where the streets, squares and relationship of buildings of different scales, different periods and different materials create a succession of spaces, places and routes. In designing the new building for the Steam Packet Company particular attention has been paid to the existing scale references created by the buildings which border the surrounding streets.
The new building is placed peripherally on the irregular site and so respects the edge of the existing street pattern. It wraps around a central space to form a generous landscaped atrium equivalent in size of about six tennis courts. Turning the corners of the site is achieved by punctuating the office accommodation with articulated vertical stair, lift and service shafts which act as separate and clearly articulated hinges between the office wings. The resulting building - a parallelogram in plan - fills the site taking up the slack - tying itself in plan and scale with the surrounding buildings.
The configuration of the building affords interesting views toward the Tower of Refuge, Inner Harbour, Douglas Centre, Douglas Head, the Queen Elizabeth II dock and marshalling area. Equally important are the views of the building from these vantage points. In addition the configuration preserves views and frames important buildings such as the Sea Terminal and streetscapes surrounding the site. We have demonstrated these points in the drawings accompanying this application.
The well proportioned building and its atrium is designed with many features rich in detail to stimulate interest. It will provide a quality environment and a dynamic place for the occupants, the passer by and for visitors.
As one moves around the building different views will unfold with a variety of details many with nautical references .
A large window façade - of about 22 metres wide and rising the full height of the building - has been cut through the east elevation again providing the occupants of the building overlooking the atrium with harbour views - the gateway to the Isle of Man. Passengers embarking or disembarking from ferries will be afforded interesting glimpses of the interior atrium space. This window façade is designed to be rigged with struts, rods and turnbuckles to brace the glass against wind loads
By providing ribbon windows, emphasis is placed on the horizontal treatment of the external cladding and elevations, allowing for expansive views in all directions for the building occupants.
The service shafts are designed with glass encased panoramic lifts and lift lobbies to be viewed as interesting animated sculptural features externally. Similarly, the building users have fine views while waiting for and riding the lifts.
To reduce the visual impact of the topmost floor - the cladding at this level is set back on the longitudinal elevations providing external terraces for the building users. Further the external roof structure is punctured with large circular portholes lightening the appearance of the building.
The landscaped atrium is designed to provide a dynamic and dramatic interior space for use for corporate entertainment, reception, civic meetings, art exhibitions, a place of arrival, to look at and walk around, a place to enjoy even during the depths of winter. The atrium roof is framed with a light lattice structure designed to flood the atrium with natural light. Glazed internal staircases rise up the face of the wings connecting the floors and - like the glass encased lifts - express movement, adding to the character of this grand internal space.
In each service shaft a main entrance is provided at ground floor level to both the adjoining wing and through to the building atrium. Directly opposite North Quay an entrance is provided for the pedestrian feeder routes from the railway station and conservation area. The entrance opposite Lord Street serves pedestrian routes from Douglas town centre.
A further entrance from Peveril Square and the Sea Terminal building is provided through the east façade window. Here a ramp is provided for wheelchair users and the mobility impaired.
Extensive consultations have taken place with the Department of Transport regarding proposals and an offer from the Steam Packet Company for a land exchange. The land exchange offer is described in drawing 0173/0/002 REV C and more particularly Arup Transport Planning letter of February . We believe the offer would result in mutual benefit for both our client and the Department. Our client would benefit from vehicle access/ exit routes to the south and east of the site. These would additionally provide a buffer from the busy activities of the harbour marshalling yard. The Department would be provided with a significantly improved circulation at the junctions between Bath Place and Peveril Square and between Red Quay and Parade Street. In addition the Department would benefit from improved circulation within the harbour marshalling yard.
The consultations with the Chief Executive and Officers of the Department of Transport have not been concluded. The consultations will continue parallel to the submission for Approval in Principle leading towards the anticipated terms of an agreement.
We have consulted with the Chief Fire Officer regarding proposals for a six storey office building. In principle the Chief Fire Officer has no objection to the proposal subject to certain conditions outlined in his letter of July attached. We confirm that the proposed development will comply with the conditions referred to in the above letter. Further it has been agreed that the building is to be a specially engineered solution with regard to compliance of the regulations governing fire and means of escape. Further consultations will take place at the appropriate time to agree the provisions.
Car parking will be concealed below the building in a sub-structure consisting of a lower ground floor semi-basement car park above a full basement car park. The car park levels are necessarily partly raised above ground level to minimise costly excavation due to adverse site conditions including bedrock and de-watering due to the high water table.
To maximise the number of car parking bays - building services plant space below ground level is to be reduced to a minimum. Instead the additional plant is to be located in a linear plant room at roof top set well back from the facade. In profile the plant room will form an extension of the curvature of the glazed atrium roof.
The car parking infrastructure in turn supports the atrium and six floors levels of offices. No special structural engineering demands are anticipated at upper floor levels. Special requirements are anticipated at basement level as a result of the adverse site conditions. The structural concept above ground, permits fast construction with sequential trades following with the installation of services, finishes, fitting out and commissioning of facilities.
The proposed building is designed to permit maximum flexibility and short term change of spaces in the office areas with minimum impact on the structural fabric or disruption of other operational areas. The service zones are tightly packed providing an efficient net to gross ratio. The floor plates at ground and top floor levels are fifteen metres wide. At intermediate levels the floor plates are eighteen metres wide. Raised floors are provided for ease of cable management.
The building will satisfy an expanding finance sector demand for innovative office design, with new ways of distributing heating, lighting, air conditioning, power, and information.
The scheme is designed to operate on low energy principles combining high technology with low running costs. The atrium envelope reduces the buildings weathered external surface, in turn reducing heat loss and creating a valuable weather protected building circulation and amenity space. The design strategy of operating on low energy principles fully using the building envelope capabilities, simplifies the services systems needed and significantly reduces energy consumption.
The proposed road along the east façade of the building provides both a means of egress for cars and taxi's only and a buffer from the busy albeit interesting activities of the harbour marshalling area. Where possible the edge of the buffer will be planted in raised floral beds.
Particular attention has been paid to the treatment of the site edges along Bath Place and Parade Street. The impact of the raised parking level of the building has been reduced by setting the ground floor well back from the pavement. Further the transition in levels between the pavement and ground floor of the building is taken up where possible with stepped terraced abundantly planted features. The necessary provision for ventilating the car parking levels will be neatly integrated between the planting. Similar landscaped features will be provided where possible around the remainder of the building.
A major part of the atrium space will be abundantly planted in raised beds. Depending on the use of the space the planted areas will need to be carefully laid out to accommodate the functions referred to above and to maximise enjoyment of this space.
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