MILEXA, BALTIC TRIANGLE, LIVERPOOL
RIBA Stages 0-7
Unit3 are currently working with surface design company Milexa Group Ltd, to create a new flagship office for their firm in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. With future expansion in mind, the client purchased a large 3-storey bakery on Bridgewater Street which they wanted to convert into stylish offices with on-site manufacturing facilities.
The clients were eager to make use of the upper floor, characterised by large steel trusses and hoists previously used to manoeuvre baking goods. These elements provided character and a connection with the historic use of the building.
DESIGN
Unit3 has worked closely with Milexa to produce a design which brings the existing build into a new, modern era, whilst being respectful of its heritage.
Initial investigations of the building revealed a clear vertical axis running up the front and rear facades of the building. Doors on each level were previously opened onto the streets, allowing goods to be hoisted from ground level into the building. Now sealed off with heavy steel and masonry, interiors of the building appeared dark and lifeless. Unit3 proposed a glazed curtain wall in its place, bringing an abundance of daylight into the interiors and creating an intriguing play of light and shadow in the evening time. Small desks sit within the window alcove, providing stellar views of Liverpool and a small retreat from the working environment. The original brick walls of the building are to be retained as to maintain the character of the building.
Alongside the new curtain walling, a new roof was added, increasing the thermal performance of the build. A sloped rooflight was included at the roof’s apex, bringing plentiful light into the upper spaces. It was mutually agreed that the second floor should be used for Milexa’s main office due to the striking steelwork which initially drew the clients to the building. Alongside the addition of the proposed rooflight, a truly dramatic office space would be created. Unit3 proposed a mainly open plan floor, as to not disrupt the vastness of the space. The main desk area is placed in the centre of the plan with meeting rooms, a kitchen/ breakout-space and stair-cores located around the periphery.
In the basement, a staff gym with male and female changing has been constructed, along with a small meeting space, hidden from the public eye.
Public and staff entrances separated, with the former entering through a main lobby and the latter through an adjacent side door. The lobby is fronted by tall glazed doors and supersedes the company’s in-house production space. Since the existing ground floor lies 1m above the exterior ground, a significant portion of the ground floor had to be removed and replaced to allow complete level access from Bridgewater Street. A new section of floor slab was propped on a steel frame which extended into the basement. A platform lift and small staircase was then installed to allow access to the existing ground floor.
Work in progress
The Gallery
Images
Unit3 are an award winning multi-disciplinary design studio based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. We work across three design sectors (architecture, graphic design and creative media) and help clients across the UK and internationally achieve great designs.
If you have a project in mind and would like to meet us, get in touch!