The Import Building | Republic

The Import Building is the first phase to be completed at Republic and provides 281,000 sq ft of mixed use work and leisure space.

Formerly known as East India Dock, this tired 1990s granite clad post-modern office complex has been reinvented to create a dynamic collaborative campus focused on well-being, connectivity, creativity and flexibility.

Externally, the existing dock has been reinvigorated as a public garden and external break out space. A two storey retail and office extension has been added along the full length of the building and inside an engineered timber grid infill to the Atrium has increased lettable area and re-focused the buildings functionality.

The project is innovative in its use of modular timber construction within the atrium and extensions. A lightweight timber structure was devised that could be manufactured offsite and then quickly assembled on site to the existing foundations without the use of heavy machinery. The glulam timber structure and infill CLT slabs were manufactured in small enough sizes to enable them to be safely manhandled into place without the use of heavy lifting equipment.

The reduction of machinery not only improved the working environment for installers by reducing noise, but also in turn improved Health and Safety and reduced the impact of construction works on surrounding communities. The speed of delivery was also increased by the lightweight timber as it allowed for larger panels and fewer joints. The construction sequencing was programmed to allow the existing tenants to remain in place, and refurbished spaces to be made available for occupation on a floor by floor basis.

This development has been designed to appeal to the next generation of creative and tech businesses, who have been priced out of neighbouring fringe areas such as Shoreditch and Hackney. A tight budget, governed by the target market has resulted in design being used as a tool to maximise values, space and aesthetics.

Each floor plate is designed to be operated as single occupancy or multi-let tenancies. Moreover the atrium infill provided the future flexibility to vertically connect floors together via additional stairways if required.

The atrium spills into adjacent mixed use amenity areas such as the ground floor gym, a coffee shop, cafe and retail units. On the ground floor are also a living room, library and bookable meeting rooms for communal use.

The new rooftop deck functions as an amenity space for hosting events and yoga classes overlooking the city. An event space on the top floor also provides further rooftop communal amenities.