The 50 acre Silvertown Quays site occupies a waterside location on the south side of the Royal Victoria Dock opposite ExCeL, and is currently owned by the Greater London Authority. The site would be transformed into the world’s first cluster of purpose built centres for product innovation, where top brands will be able to showcase their latest products. It will also create a new waterside destination that will be home to innovative design, high technology and green enterprise.
The new 4.2 million square foot innovation quarter would be built around a re-enlivened dock, and will offer space for incubator and technology businesses. It will also feature more than 1500 new homes, restaurants, cafes, galleries, and leisure facilities both on and off the water, spanning 250,000 square feet.
Arup is masterplanning the whole scheme with the exception of the historic, waterfront Millennium Mills building built in 1905 which is being converted into a mixed-use scheme by AHMM, reports Architects Journal.
The site will be anchored by a grand avenue of state-of-the-art ‘brand pavilions’, where top brands from across the world will showcase the future of their products. The pavilions will combine product demonstration space, office space, exhibition space and retail space whilst acting as a destination or tourist attraction. The total scheme will also include a new bridge connecting it to the ExCel.
Work on the first phase of the site is expected to begin in 2014/15 with the first businesses moving in 2017. The deal is a key part of the Mayor’s on-going commitment to regenerate the Royal Docks into London’s next business district. The whole development is expected to create £6.5 billion ($10.1 billion) of economic benefits for the UK economy over the next 25 years. It follows other high-profile deals such as ABP business port at Royal Albert Dock, Siemens Crystal Centre, the UK’s first urban cable car, the Emirates Air Line and new homes at Great Eastern Quay.
