The Yellow Building, London

The Yellow Building, the headquarters for Monsoon/Accessorize, is located on a site formerly occupied by a series of industrial sheds, and comprises a frame consisting of a diagonal lattice which gives the building a distinctive appearance, inside and out.

The structure is made up of full height in-situ concrete columns forming an exoskeleton. The finish of the exposed concrete diagonal struts and soffits, and the use of post-tensioned floor slabs, minimises floor depth. The diagonal structure as vertical support and lateral bracing is economical and, by a simple adjustment of the shuttering, tapers towards the top.

The exposed internal concrete structure works as part of its environmental control strategy utilising the thermal mass to reduce the operational energy of the building has contributed to the BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.