london?s southbank tower announces its partnership with zaha hadid architects (ZHA) in the transformation of the residential high-rise lobby. marking the first refurbishment of an apartment building interior by ZHA, the project introduces a new mezzanine and lift, concierge desk and lighting scheme for the lobby of the repurposed southbank tower. one of the UK?s most ambitious renovation projects, the 30-story office building completed by richard seifert in 1972 was converted by KPF in 2015 into a 41-story mixed-use building that incorporates two and three bedroom apartments. construction of the 200 square meter lobby will commence in early 2020 and is due for completion in summer 2020.

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the design of the southbank tower lobby by zaha hadid architects expresses its influence from the organic formation of overlapping flower petals to conceal the lobby?s lighting scheme. the fluid curves of the structure host the building?s concierge on the ground floor before peeling away at the top to reveal a new mezzanine level which serves as an additional lounge for residents and guests. these sculptural petals of glass fiber reinforced gypsum ? together with marble furniture pieces within the lobby ? are precisely crafted in an off-site studio using 3D digital fabrication. this process minimizes the duration of on-site construction and disturbance to residents, while also introducing original pieces at an architectural scale to a level of detail associated ...