The Willis building in Ipswich, England (originally the Willis Faber and Dumas Headquarters ) is one of the earliest buildings designed by Norman Foster after establishing Foster Associates. Constructed between 1970 and 1975, it is now seen as a landmark in the development of the 'high tech' architectural style.
The building houses some 1300 office staff in open plan offices spread over three floors. The central escalator well leads up to a rooft...
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The Willis building in Ipswich, England (originally the Willis Faber and Dumas Headquarters ) is one of the earliest buildings designed by Norman Foster after establishing Foster Associates. Constructed between 1970 and 1975, it is now seen as a landmark in the development of the 'high tech' architectural style.
The building houses some 1300 office staff in open plan offices spread over three floors. The central escalator well leads up to a rooftop staff restaurant surrounded by a rooftop garden (360 panorama). Originally there was also a swimming pool for employees to enjoy during their lunch break. This has now been covered up (not filled in due to it being a listed building) and the space is used for more offices. The swimming pool can be seen underneath the false floor.
The bulbous floorplan of the office block reflects the layout of the available site in the centre of Ipswich, which is sandwiched between several road junctions and the Grade I listed Unitarian Meeting House, one...
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