Blackfriars Crown Court, a former law court comprising of 139,500 sq ft arranged over basement, ground and two upper floors was purchased in Q1 2020 by Fabrix. Since acquisition, the building has been rebranded as Roots in the Sky to reflect its focus on sustainability, wellbeing and the provision green spaces for both public and private use. In particular the name relates to the garden rooftop which with a +20% canopy cover over the whole building will classify as a forest.
Following completion of the acquisition in February 2020, a planning application for change of use from its existing court use (D1) to office (B1) was successfully achieved in June 2020. Subsequently a further planning permission was submitted for part demolition of the building and extension of the existing building to create 270,000 sq ft across ground plus 6 storeys. The scheme will create mixed-use destination of office, retail, restaurant and leisure spaces as well as a rooftop. The building will have best in class environmental and wellbeing accreditations including BREEAM outstanding and WELL gold.
A key element of the development has been a focus on providing meaningful and lasting positive impact on the local area. The creation of a free to use public garden on the rooftop overlooking the city of London has been designed to deliver community driven projects, particularly focussing on gardening and education, and features a free to book Barn for events. Following substantial research and public consultation with local community groups and charities an auditorium will be delivered on the ground floor designed specifically to meet the requirements of these groups and to address the lack of available high-quality community spaces in the area.
You can see more information on Fabrix’s website and the Southwark Council planning documents.
