Portobello Dock - The Canal Building, London

Set within a masterplan by Stiff +Trevillion, the Portobello Dock site straddles the Grand Union Canal at Ladbroke Grove. Formerly the Headquarters of Virgin Records, the complex was acquired by Derwent London in 2004. The Site is Grade II listed, containing to the south a Victorian dock, ramp and adjacent vaults, topped with an arcade-like structure; and to the north an elegant nineteenth-century stucco house.

Stiff + Trevillion Architects created a new six-storey office building on the site of the former stable block: The Canal Building. The new building is free-standing, but closely engaged with the industrial history that surrounds it. The building enjoys impressive floor-to-ceiling glazing with dynamic framed views of the canal and surrounding area. The design employs several energy-saving features including thermal-mass from the exposed concrete structure, displacement ventilation, solar hot water panels, and intelligent lighting.

In addition, offices constructed in the 1980s have been converted to provide 19 quality apartments; the remaining buildings have been refurbished and modernised.