EXCHANGE PLACE, FOUNTAINBRIDGE OFFICES IN EDINBURGH BY CRE8 ARCHITECTURE

With many thanks to one keen-to-be-anonymous reader, I bring you this commercial development by an architecture practice with a truly embarassing name. Who 's have thought that the word/number hybrid Cre8 (are there 8 of them?) would find its way into architecture? According to Google, Cre8 has already been used by a 'concept design and marketing' company, a photography agency and an organisation that 'exists to provide kids and teenagers with an opportunity to develop creative arts skills in a Christian environment'. Even so, these guys felt that there was still mileage in the brand.
As for the building, it's a combination of corporate cityscape style (see most of central Leeds) with a smoked glass 'feature'. The corner's a great lesson to us all. When you really can't decide to do a curve or a sharp corner, do both!
My correspondent on this one coined a beautiful phrase to describe the checkerboard facade treatment and gives an eye witness' detailed critique: "If you notice on the second image, those bizarre vertical bits of fridge magnet cladding are a different finish to the other cladding elsewhere on the building. Otherwise, it looks like sketchup. Exactly like sketchup." I couldn't have put it better myself.




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