Bloomberg, London EC4N

Ultra-high specification, movable planters were commissioned for Bloomberg’s European headquarters, located in the heart of the City of London, close to the Bank of England and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Occupying a full city block, the building was designed by architects Foster + Partners, and constructed by Sir Robert McAlpine at a cost of £1bn. In 2018, Bloomberg was awarded the Stirling Prize, with the judges calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime” building that has “not just raised the bar for office design and city planning but smashed the ceiling.”

IOTA’s planters were commissioned for the ground level hospitality and civic spaces, under and around the Bloomberg building, known as Bloomberg Arcade. The 128nr. planters were of an unusually high specification, and complex design, which included:
 

• Custom sized gland plates, internal to the planters, to accommodate a variety of combinations of electrical supply unit types, allowing retail sites to integrate custom arrangements of outdoor lighting and heating apparatus.
   
• The gland plates are accessed via hinged doors, secured by quality Neodymium magnets, able to withstand reverberation caused by transit on uneven surfaces.
   
• The hinged doors also allow the end user accessibility to the castors – which are both lockable and height adjustable, to cater for multi-directional falls within the Arcade.
   
• The planters are finished with the high-spec, ultra-durable ‘Metalite Zinc Age’ system finish, by Bradleys Metal Finishers.
   

IOTA’s planters were commissioned by ISG Fit Out Limited on behalf of Bloomberg LP. The essential design concept was by Foster + Partners; and IOTA’s responsibilities covered design detailing and development, value engineering, manufacture and supply. The soft landscaping was by Willerby Landscapes.