During the late 19th century the site was part of the Liberty of Glasshouse Yard, a crystal glass making factory. Subsequent historic maps illustrate a courtyard opening onto Aldersgate called 'Black Horse Yard’ along with a public house of the same name.
The existing 120 Aldersgate building was constructed sometime during the late 1970s and is now home to several SME’s in the creative, digital, media industry, located at the City edge and opposite the listed Barbican Centre.
A major refurbishment including a substantial extension during the late 1990s provided a significant degree of additional office space, but has created several design challenges to future flexibility.
The sites industrial history as a centre of glass making created our architectural point of departure for the materiality and ideas for enlivening the building through the use of colour, as adding coloured oxides to the glass making process creates pure crystal glass.