Fred Pilbrow was the partner responsible for the design of the Bond Street Crossrail Over Station Development, undertaken on behalf of the Grosvenor Estate, whilst he was at KPF and PLP/Architecture.

Fred’s appraisal of Crossrail’s own initial OSD proposals demonstrated that the quality and value of the office could be radically improved through modest changes to the station’s design. This work led to a partnering approach with Grosvenor that served as a model for later collaborations between Crossrail and developers such as Derwent London, Great Portland Estates and Aviva.

The project integrates the new office building with the infrastructure of the Crossrail Station below, to provide a singular coherent architectural response to this important Mayfair site. Meeting the contextual parameters, in this instance, was demanding and required an in-depth understanding of station function, safety and operational requirements. We forged a close working relationship with station architects John McAslan and Partners, both teams making comment on one another’s work in the pursuit of a fully integrated design.

Grosvenor’s brief recognised that the building’s delivery, dependent on the completion of Crossrail, would not be realised before 2019. Accordingly, ambitious environmental standards were set with energy usage targeted below half that allowed by the contemporaneous building codes. Efficient responsive facades, exposed thermal mass, night purge and mixed mode ventilation are allied with energy efficient lighting and central plants to meet the brief.