Canada Water unveils new Asif Khandesigned pedestrian public boardwalk
British Land and AustralianSuper, the joint venture partners behind the Canada Water masterplan, have unveiled a new Asif Khan-designed public architectural landmark. The 170m-long boardwalk is inspired by the history of the Surrey Docks and its role at the heart of the timber trade in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Townshend Landscape Architects designed a series of new steps down to the water’s edge with waterside seating alongside an educational dipping pond, transforming the area into a unique public space to bring people together to learn about the area’s heritage and ecology.
Asif Khan said: ‘Crossing water can give us powerful sensations. This boardwalk immerses us in a few moments of colour, of nature and of beauty. I want to evoke the crossing of time too. I hope this gives someone a chance to take a breath and look at things in a new way. In today’s world, I think this is more important than ever.’
The red timber structure allows people to traverse the dock by stepping from timber to timber, following in the footsteps of the rafters who hopped between floating deal planks in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The boardwalk aims to enhance connectivity within the town centre, while providing visitors with a new way to experience nature without disturbing the environment. Gracefully weaving across the dock, the elevated structure floats on the water’s surface, offering unique views and bringing people down to experience nature up close.
British Land’s joint head of Canada Water, Emma Cariaga, commented: ‘Asif Khan is a worldclass architectural talent and he has created a striking new centrepiece at Canada Dock that will be used every day by the local community.’
Through the creation of a series of islands and channels, Townshend, working in collaboration with the London Wildlife Trust, has created a new shoreline alongside a mosaic of different habitats that will maximise biodiversity. Three new wetland habitats have been created, alongside seven wetland islands, and over 1km of shallow edges. Reed beds, new flowering plants and trees have been planted to attract dragonflies, butterflies, kingfishers and frogs, while providing ideal nesting habitats for ducks, swans and other birds.
Gary Alden, senior associate at Townshend Landscape Architects, said: ‘At Canada Dock we had an incredible opportunity to reverse the ecological decline and create a space that improves the wildlife habitat and provides an environment where people and nature are better connected. By creating a mosaic of habitats it will help to sustain a more biodiverse community of birds, invertebrates and other wildlife.’
Over the next decade, the 53-acre Canada Water masterplan will deliver a new district for central London with around one million square feet of new retail, leisure and education amenities; up to two million square feet of workspace for 20,000 workers; between 2,000 and 4,000 new homes; all alongside a 3.5-acre public park, a town square, the first new high street in London for 100 years, and a new leisure centre. www.asif-khan.com | www.townshendla.com
Studio Found collaborates with chef and interior stylist on new Belgravia restaurant
Image Credit: Billy bolton
Wildflowers, a restaurant, wine bar and deli recently opened by chef Aaron Potter and interior stylist Laura Hart was designed collaboratively with Studio Found, an award-winning London-based hospitality interiors specialist.
Located in Newson’s Yard, a new premier design destination in Belgravia, Wildflowers takes its design cues from the location, as well as the vision of Potter and Hart to create a relaxed yet elegant neighbourhood restaurant inspired by the Mediterranean cuisine and cultures that they both love.
Studio Found’s brief was to create an interior that instilled a welcoming and homely feel that invited guests to relax and enjoy the vibrant Mediterranean-inspired food and drinks on offer. The venue also had to sit comfortably within its locality – a design destination full of upmarket interior stores in the heart of Belgravia in central London, that in its former life had been one of London’s oldest timber yards.
The design process from the outset was a wholly collaborative experience with Ed Plumb, design director and founder of Studio Found, and his team working alongside Potter and Hart.
Plumb commented: ‘Together we wanted to create a space that felt welcoming from the moment guests walked through its doors. We wanted to capture the laid-back dining culture of the Mediterranean and memories of holidays in the sun but bring it back to London with a touch of elegance and refinement as befits its location.’ www.studiofound.co.uk
MillerKnoll announces new global hubs in New York and London
MillerKnoll, a global leader in design, has opened two new flagship locations in London and New York. Including contract showrooms and stores from across the company’s collective of brands, these spaces build upon the MillerKnoll strategy of creating world-class design destinations globally. This approach provides employees with inspiring workplaces and offers customers and the design community a convenient way to experience the latest in design for office, home and beyond.
Andi Owen, CEO of MillerKnoll, commented: ‘This is truly an exciting milestone for our collective. We’re thrilled to showcase the full breadth of our design portfolio in such creative and innovative locations in London and New York. We’re taking the approach of locating brands next to each other based on feedback from design partners, dealers and customers. We look forward to the collaboration these spaces will facilitate as we continue to redefine modern design.’
Situated in the London design neighbourhood of Clerkenwell, MillerKnoll London is the first major MillerKnoll destination outside of the US. The location includes three floors spanning 1,700m2 of contract showrooms and retail stores from brands including Knoll, Herman Miller, and Maharam. A dedicated MillerKnollStudio serves as a working showroom, bringing together the collective of brands to showcase a unified approach for the modern workplace. www.millerknoll.com
New Bakerloo Line ticket hall at Paddington designed by Scott Brownrigg
Image Credit: MACE
The improvement work to the Bakerloo line ticket hall at Paddington Tube station is now complete and open to the public. Designed by international architecture practice Scott Brownrigg for Sellar, the new entrance and ticket hall form part of the wider Paddington Square development. The new shopping, dining and commercial quarter is set within a contemporary 18-floor building and plaza by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW). The project transforms the passenger experience and provides an impressive gateway to Paddington Square.
Scott Brownrigg’s reimagining of the station, delivered alongside multidisciplinary professional services consultancy WSP, includes a complete reconfiguration of the underground space, to create a more intuitive and accessible passenger journey. A legible and well-lit new entrance at the base of the new RPBW building provides a seamless transition to the urban realm above and a clear and visible route through to Paddington Station. Step-free access has been introduced from the newly developed public plaza on Praed Street to the platforms below.
A significant expansion to the Bakerloo line ticket hall, complete with an increase in ticket gates, optimises passenger flow, reduces journey time and alleviates peak-hour congestion. This is accompanied by improved signage to create a more streamlined passenger journey to and from each platform. The upgrade also includes improved back-of-house facilities for TfL staff and creates a safe and modernised station environment for both Bakerloo line passengers and station staff, while retaining the character of the original London Underground station. The opening of the upgraded Bakerloo line ticket hall culminates over 12 years of Scott Brownrigg’s design services to improve connectivity and accessibility for passengers, across the five different train line connections at Paddington station. www.scottbrownrigg.com
GROHE set to open first UK Specification Hub in London
GROHE has announced plans to open its first UK Specification Hub at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. It will act as a dedicated space for predominantly A&D customers to see first-hand the GROHE portfolio, including the premium sub-brand, GROHE SPA. A number of best-selling GROHE lines will be displayed, including a variety of plumbed-in shower systems for live demonstrations, Sensia Pro shower toilets, brassware and accessories.
Catering primarily to designers, specifiers and architects, the hub will be managed by the GROHE UK Sales and Projects team on an appointment basis. It will also be utilised by the wider UK team for events, training demos and product launches. www.grohe.co.uk
Livyj Bereh wins Royal Academy Dorfman Prize
Livyj Bereh, from Ukraine, has won the 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize, a £10,000 prize supported by the Dorfman Foundation to celebrate new ideas and practices that highlight the future potential of architecture.
Livyj Bereh was selected from a shortlist of four international practices, including b+ (Germany), Salima Naji (Morocco) and TEN (Switzerland and Serbia). The prize was decided and presented at a ceremony at the Royal Academy of Arts, following public presentations by each finalist.
The jury was chaired by Royal Academicians and founders of 6a architects, Tom Emerson OBE RA and Stephanie Macdonald OBE RA, an internationally recognised London practice currently leading the reimagination of Tate Liverpool and shortlisted for the British Museum. The jury members included architect, Stéphanie Bru, of leading Paris-based practice Bruther, a specialist in housing and community projects; internationally exhibited artist Goshka Macuga RA; award-winning architect Níall McLaughlin RA; Harvard Wheelwright scholar 2022, architect and researcher, Marina Otero; and former head of architecture and Drue Heinz Curator at the RA, Vicky Richardson. www.royalacademy.org.uk
Morris+Company unveils design for The Ratan Tata Building at Somerville College, Oxford
Morris+Company has revealed its design for The Ratan Tata Building at Somerville College, Oxford. Located within the prestigious Radcliffe Observatory Quarter (ROQ), the project represents a sensitive yet bold architectural intervention, integrating heritage, sustainability and contemporary design. As the new permanent home for the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD), The Ratan Tata Building will serve as a hub for academic collaboration and research excellence, further enriching the distinguished academic environment of Somerville College. Commissioned following an invited design competition, Morris+Company’s scheme reflects Somerville College’s core values of resilience, inclusion, sustainability and excellence (Rise). The building’s design embodies a balance of contemporary architecture and respect for the historical and academic context of the site. www.morrisand.company
Vision for the future of Earl’s Court revealed
Image Credit: The earls court development company
The Earl’s Court Development Company (ECDC) has revealed details on its planning application for the site of the former Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, central London’s largest cleared development area.
Bringing together leading practices from across the UK, the scheme’s two masterplan architects – Studio Egret West and Hawkins Brown – are joined by dRMM, Maccreanor Lavington, Sheppard Robson, Haworth Tompkins, Serie Architects and ACME working on the buildings, alongside landscape designs by SLA. ZCD Architects has helped ECDC set up a public realm inclusivity panel, comprising people across a range of ages and access needs, to inform and shape the design of the public realm.
Image Credit: The earls court development company
Redefining the long-term empty site into a new destination for innovation and discovery, ECDC has assembled a group of architecture practices with a proven track record in successfully delivering new communities that are stitched into the surrounding neighbourhoods. Alongside the Outline Planning Application, detailed designs have been submitted for the first buildings in Phase One of the development, set to commence construction in 2026. Phase One includes commercial spaces, 1,500 new homes across a range of tenures (around 4,000 homes are planned for the entire site), shops, cultural and community spaces, bars, and restaurants.
A network of Exhibition Gardens will position nature as a golden thread running through the masterplan. At the centre of the site will be Table Park, which imaginatively repurposes the concrete foundations of the exhibition hall into a 4.5-acre urban park. Opening up the Zone One site for the first time in 150 years and creating an east-west pedestrian route between West Kensington and Earl’s Court, the submitted plans take design notes from the characteristics and materiality of the local area, while incorporating aspects inspired by the exhibition centres that formerly occupied the site.
Image Credit: The earls court development company
Sharon Giffen, head of design, The Earl’s Court Development Company, commented: ‘We’re proud to showcase our design proposals for Earl’s Court, the result of over four years of engagement, consultation and design evolution with the public and our stakeholders. Working with our world-class team of architects and consultants, we have prioritised landscape, inclusivity, climate resilience and design excellence within our masterplan and first detailed buildings. Earl’s Court is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a better piece of city for the future – one that is resilient to global challenges and will set a new standard for urban development in London.’ www.earlscourt.com
