Sampson House
The former brutalist building, constructed in the 1970’s and designed by the Fitzroy Robinson & Partners, was originally a cheque-clearing station for Lloyds Bank when it opened 40 years ago, before later being leased to US computing giant IBM as a disaster recovery facility and data recovery centre. It’s now been demolished to make way for a new mixed use development.
Located along the South Bank of the Thames, Sampson House was demolished by McGee to make way for a residential-led development combined of nine buildings housing nearly 500 homes along with offices, cultural and retail space as well as leisure amenities.
The project is clearing away a large and under-utilised site between Blackfriars Bridge and the Tate Modern museum, it will be replaced by two divisive blocks on either side of the mainline railway running north-south through London.
McGee is also currently working on neighbouring Ludgate House. Together, Ludgate House and Sampson House form a redevelopment project known as Bankside Yards.
The scheme will create a destination neighbourhood comprising cultural, retail and leisure amenities as well as new office space and housing which will be linked by extensive public open spaces. It will reconnect the space between the Tate Modern and one of London’s major transport hubs, Blackfriars Station. The London Borough of Southwark will also benefit from a substantial contribution towards further housing within the Borough.
