GMW Architects
Encyclopedia
GMW Architects are an architectural practice based in the United Kingdom
.
and Castrol House, a tower on Marylebone Road in London
, notable as one of the first uses of curtain walling
on a building in the United Kingdom.
In the 1960s they went on to design two buildings at Undershaft in the City of London - the 28 storey Commercial Union Tower, which was the first building in the city to exceed the height of St Paul's Cathedral structure, and the now demolished headquarters of P&O
. These buildings both featured an innovative structure by which the office floors are hung by steel rods from cantilevers out from the concrete core, rather than being supported from ground level.
In 1974 the three founders retired, leaving a well-established practice. Soon after GMW was awarded a commission to design the King Saud University
in Saudi Arabia.
In 1983 the firm was appointed to design the new Barclays Bank headquarters building at 54 Lombard Street and in 1994 the practice was appointed to handle the refurbishment of Tower 42
in London
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The practice was established in 1947 by Frank Gollins (1910– ), James Melvin (1912–79), and Edmund Ward (1912–98) and operated as Gollins Melvin Ward. In the 1950s they designed the central campus for the University of SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
and Castrol House, a tower on Marylebone Road in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, notable as one of the first uses of curtain walling
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
on a building in the United Kingdom.
In the 1960s they went on to design two buildings at Undershaft in the City of London - the 28 storey Commercial Union Tower, which was the first building in the city to exceed the height of St Paul's Cathedral structure, and the now demolished headquarters of P&O
P&O
P&O may refer to:* Pickling and oiling raw steel.* Phosphate conversion coating and oiling aluminium, zinc, cadmium, silver, or tin.-Shipping:* Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, a former British shipping and logistics company....
. These buildings both featured an innovative structure by which the office floors are hung by steel rods from cantilevers out from the concrete core, rather than being supported from ground level.
In 1974 the three founders retired, leaving a well-established practice. Soon after GMW was awarded a commission to design the King Saud University
King Saud University
King Saud University is a public university located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdul Aziz as Riyadh University, as the first university in the kingdom not dedicated to religious subjects. The university was created to meet the shortage of skilled workers in...
in Saudi Arabia.
In 1983 the firm was appointed to design the new Barclays Bank headquarters building at 54 Lombard Street and in 1994 the practice was appointed to handle the refurbishment of Tower 42
Tower 42
Tower 42 is the second tallest skyscraper in the City of London and the fifth tallest in London overall. The original name was the National Westminster Tower, having been built to house the National Westminster Bank's International Division. Seen from above, the tower closely resembles the NatWest...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.