This article first appeared in the 200701
issue of BD+C.
A soaring steel-and-glass atrium has created a dynamic, four-story social space at the Surrey House, the historic 1904 offices of United Kingdom insurance giant Norwich Union in Norwich, UK. Designed by LSI Architects, the new atrium connects three wings of offices that were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s. A new staircase within the atrium connects existing office floors, while a steel-and-glass bridge spans the space, linking the offices at the second level. The domed roof is constructed of a grid of white tubular steel framework. A lattice steel ring beam transfers the loads from the dome to the columns. The glass is 50% fretted to reduce glare and heat build-up during the summer months.
