In 700 years, the site of the Merrill Lynch Financial Centre in the City of London has been owned and developed by only four occupants. The new design re-establishes the site’s coherence and enhances its context through new pedestrian routes and open spaces formed around two new and two refurbished buildings featuring two of the largest trading floors in the world. Designed by David Walker while Design Principal at SHCA, it has won numerous awards including the Civic Trust Award and the BCO award for the best corporate office development. The primary elevations are independent load-bearing walls rising from ground to third floor. Above this level the façade incorporates a terracotta cornice surmounted by additional floors clad in lead panels.