Erskine House, Belfast

Erskine House sits prominently on Chichester Street, one of Belfast’s oldest and busiest thoroughfares.

The building comprises 100,000sqft of offices, sitting above ground floor retailing (occupied by lifestyle retailer Anthropologie).

The commission was secured through a design competition run by Orby Investment, a company not experienced in development of this scale. They were looking for an architect who could both lead them through the design and delivery process, but also produce a piece of architecture that would contribute to Belfast’s architectural heritage.

The scheme comprises limestone framed glazed screens over the lower levels, topped by a set-back two storey glazed penthouse, that provides panoramic views over the city. The building has a civic presence appropriate for its prominent location in the city centre.

Initially designed speculatively, the building was selected by HMRC to become their new Regional Hub in Northern Ireland, with the practice’s engagement extending across Cat A and Cat B works.

The scheme in many ways epitomises the practice’s philosophy in the commercial sector of “Design Conscious, Commercially aware”, where the building has a quality that belies it having to be designed and delivered with anticipated rental levels of £20 / sqft, and from an efficiency perspective where at its upper levels the lettable area is an extraordinary 89% of the gross area.