Apex House, a high-quality regeneration project by John McAslan + Partners, is a cluster of three inter-connected brick-clad buildings rising to a peak of 23-storeys over the junction of Seven Sisters Road and Tottenham High Road in north London. Together, a 23-storey tower, a six- and a four-storey block form a residential landmark centred on a new piazza comprising 163 apartments, sixty per cent for the private rental sector and forty per cent affordable housing. The residential-led project may also incorporate a new Seven Sisters market, reviving a much-loved local institution.
Marking the first phase of the Seven Sisters Regeneration Project, Apex House is a prominent structure designed to be seen from different aspects from surrounding streets. Presenting a slim profile to Tottenham High Road, it broadens out along Seven Sisters Road with apartments in the four-storey block set above retail units including space for an indoor market. Residents are projected to spend an annual £3.4 million in local shops.
With a clearly defined base, articulated edges and a carefully considered roofscape, the sculpted volumes of Apex House contribute architectural variety to a streetscape defined by the straight lines of two particularly busy arterial roads. At the same time, the scale and massing of the buildings allows for a high density of housing with a maximum number of dual-aspect apartments and private balconies. Roof terraces offer residents views across the city in all directions.
The concrete frames of Apex House are clad in brick. In two tones and with a variety of patterns, these animate the structure while reflecting the use of brick as a common building material in the Seven Sisters district. The structure is notable for its innovative and extensive use of ultra-high-performance fibre reinforced concrete panels (UHPFRC). Thin and light, these feature cast brick slips allowing rapid construction without the need for hand-laying and setting bricks.
- Architect: John McAslan + Partners
- Photos: Hufton+Crow
- Words: Gina