News: a fighter jet incorporating 3D-printed parts has successfully completed a test flight, making it the first combat aircraft produced using additive manufacturing.
Defence contractor BAE Systems announced yesterday that the Tornado aircraft fitted with components printed at a Royal Air Force base completed a successful test flight from the company’s airfield at Warton in Lancashire, UK, last month.
The firm’s combat engineering team is now using 3D printing to design and produce ready-made parts for four squadrons of Tornado GR4 aircraft at RAF Marham, a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, UK. Components include protective covers for cockpit radios, support struts on the air intake door and protective guards for power take-off shafts.
Image showing construction of 3D-printed parts
They estimate that use of the technology will cut the cost of repairs, maintenance and service to the Royal Air Force by more than £1.2 million over the next four years, but also paves the way for using 3D printed parts in other military equipment.
“You are suddenly not fixed in terms of where you have to manufacture these things,” said Mike Murray, head of airframe integration at BAE Systems. “You can manufacture the products at whatever base you want, providing you can get a machine there, which means you can also start to support other platforms such as ships and aircraft carriers.”
“If it’s feasible to get machines out on the front line, it also gives improved capability where we wouldn’t traditionally have any manufacturing support,” he added.
Architecture firm OMA has designed a temporary auditorium for the basement of London department store Selfridges (+ slideshow).
Called the Imaginarium, the space will be used to host talks, debates and lectures during the Festival of Imagination, which opens in the store on 16 January.
The installation will feature a circular “amphitheatre” contained within a polycarbonate wall. Other walls in the space will be clad in mirrors while the floor will be painted in an Op Art-style pattern of black and white stripes, which will be applied using a road-painting machine.
“We asked Rem [Koolhaas of OMA] to do it and he said yes,” said Carlotta Jacoby, senior visual project manager at Selfridges. “It’s quite a simple design but with the mirrored walls it’s going to be pretty bonkers”.
The stepped amphitheatre will seat up to 72 people. OMA has also designed the furniture for the space and a folding screen that will be used during talks. Columns will be painted with green-screen paint.
The Imaginarium will host daily events during the Festival of Imagination – a store-wide festival that will “explore the nature, power and positive impact of imagination”. It will occupy the Ultralounge in the basement of the store, which is located on Oxford Street in central London.
Dezeen has teamed up with London department store Selfridges to present a futuristic concept store, featuring an augmented-reality watch store and a walkaround digital model of Zaha Hadid’s £300 million superyacht (+ slideshow).
The Jazz superyacht designed by Hadid for German shipbuilder Blohm + Voss (pictured above) will be the biggest and most expensive item ever sold at Selfridges.
Visitors will be able to explore an augmented reality scale model of the 90-metre yacht using a tablet computer. A representative of Blohm + Voss will fly over to London to discuss purchase options with potential customers.
The installation is part of The Imagine Shop, which opens on the ground floor at Selfridges on Monday 6 January and runs until 2 March as part of the Festival of Imagination – a store-wide festival that will “explore the nature, power and positive impact of imagination”.
The augmented reality technology at the Imagine Shop has been developed by Inition
Curated by Dezeen, the Imagine Shop will showcase future-facing products and explore how augmented reality could be used in future to create an immersive retail experience.
Customers can virtually try on a range of watches from the Dezeen Watch Store collection
Large items like cars, yachts or houses can be experienced virtually, existing only as digital models on a tablet or smartphone, but anchored to a physical location via a 2D “marker” pattern that tells the software where to place the object. This means customers can walk round, and even through, objects as if they were really there.
As well as the yacht, the shop will feature an augmented reality Dezeen Watch Store pop-up, where customers will be able to virtually try on a range of watches.
Other products on sale in the store will be grouped in three categories: Future Beauty, featuring objects that express a futuristic aesthetic; Future Life, including new product typologies we may use in the future; and Wearable Technology.
“Dezeen has long been a rich source of reference and inspiration for the creative teams at Selfridges, and we’re delighted to finally be collaborating with them on such a uniquely imaginative project,” said Linda Hewson, director of creative and windows at Selfridges.
Rendering of the Imagine Shop at Selfridges
The augmented reality technology has been provided by London 3D technology company Inition. “Inition is excited about the opportunity bringing our emerging technology production experience to present a world-acclaimed architect’s designs in a retail setting,” said Inition producer Ainsley Henn.
He added: “Being able to walk around a spectacular Zaha Hadid yacht as it ‘floats’ in front of you is very different to flicking through a traditional brochure. As far as we are aware, this is the most expensive retail item to be promoted in such a way.”
Product display area at the Imagine Shop at Selfridges
Festival of Imagination is at Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB from 16 January. The Imagine Shop is open from 6 January.
News: British architect Norman Foster has unveiled a concept to build a network of elevated pathways above London’s railways to create safe car-free cycling routes, following 14 cyclist deaths on the city’s streets in 2013.
Entitled SkyCycle, the proposal by architects Foster + Partners, landscape architects Exterior Architecture and transport consultant Space Syntax is for a “cycling utopia” of approximately 220 kilometres of dedicated cycle lanes, following the routes of existing train lines.
Over 200 entrance points would be dotted across the UK capital to provide access to ten different cycle paths. Each route would accommodate up to 12,000 cyclists per hour and could improve journey times across the city by up to half an hour.
“SkyCycle is a lateral approach to finding space in a congested city,” said Foster, who is both a regular cyclist and the president of Britain’s National Byway Trust. “By using the corridors above the suburban railways, we could create a world-class network of safe, car free cycle routes that are ideally located for commuters.”
If approved, the routes could be in place within 20 years, offering relief to a transport network that is already at capacity and will need to contend with 12 percent population growth over the next decade.
“I believe that cities where you can walk or cycle, rather than drive, are more congenial places in which to live,” said Foster.
“To improve the quality of life for all in London and to encourage a new generation of cyclists, we have to make it safe,” he added. “However, the greatest barrier to segregating cars and cyclists is the physical constraint of London’s streets, where space is already at a premium.”
According to the designers, construction of elevated decks would be considerably cheaper than building new roads and tunnels. The routes would offer greater health benefits for London residents and would make more efficient use of space, as more car owners could be encouraged to cycle rather than drive to work.
“At crucial points in London’s history major infrastructure projects have transformed the fortunes of the capital,” said Space Syntax director Anna Rose. “For example, Bazalgette’s sewer system helped remove the threat of cholera to keep London at the forefront of the industrial revolution; the Underground strengthened London’s core by making long-distance commuting possible.”
“SkyCycle is conceived in this tradition as a network of strategic connections from the suburban edges to the centre, adding the much needed capacity for hundreds of millions of cycle journeys every year with all the social, economic, environmental and health benefits to London that follow,” she added.
Cycling safety in London was called into question in November last year when six cyclists died in road accidents in a two-week period, bringing the total for the year up to 14. A poll by BBC News found that one in five cyclists in London stopped cycling to work following the accidents.
A faceted roof made from a shimmering copper-bronze alloy covers this extension by British firm Emrys Architects to a pair of Georgian townhouses in London (+ slideshow).
Emrys Architects was asked by property management firm GMS Estates to modernise and extend its offices, which occupy two former residential properties on Great James Street in Bloomsbury.
The architects installed a new two-storey structure at the rear of the buildings to create additional rooms and improve connections between existing workspaces.
“The client wished to break out from the confined spaces of the Georgian terrace to allow easier communication between each other whilst retaining some delineation between departments,” explained the architects.
“Our solution was to retain and enhance the grandeur of the terrace and to introduce an entirely new structure in the tight land-locked space to the rear to create a dramatic transition from old to the new,” they added.
The triangular sections of the metal roof angle up and down to create varying ceiling heights inside the new structure, lining up with different parts of the old brick buildings.
“We took the existing heights of key points around the perimeter and used this for inspiration for an unusual triangulated roof form,” said the architects.
Inside, recessed lighting highlights the edges of each plane, while triangular skylights bring daylight into the space from the corners.
A cantilevered wooden staircase leads down to the lower level, where wooden ceiling joists have been left exposed.
A meeting room is contained at the centre of this floor and occupies an old barrel-vaulted brick structure that was formerly used as a vault.
Glass doors help to bring in extra daylight and lead out to small courtyards, plus both levels feature oak parquet flooring.
Here’s a project description from Emrys Architects:
Great James Street
Two Grade II* listed Georgian properties that have been the head offices of GMS Estates for generations have been redeveloped for the 21st Century. A melee of unconnected post-war extensions and dank lower ground spaces has been replaced with two storeys of striking contemporary work space.
Background
32-33 Great James Street comprises two five storey terraced townhouses built between 1720 and 1724. The terrace is one of the few remaining intact Georgian streets in London, close to Grays Inn in Bloomsbury. The properties suffered bomb and fire damage during the Second World War and were patched-up shortly after with a series of rear extensions. This annex contained poor office accommodation and some areas were in such bad condition that they were only suitable for storage.
GMS Estates are landowners and landlords who own many properties in Central London and take pride in keeping them to a high standard. Having recently completed several refurbishments of residences and offices for the rental market, they realised that their own accommodation was hampering their productivity and staff well-being.
The boardroom at 32 Great James Street was spectacular with original oak panelling and portraits of previous company chairmen, accessed from an oak panelled staircase. However, other areas of the building were jammed with staff in various rooms on different levels. Internal communication involved moving up and down the stairs, opening fire doors and bumping into tired office furniture and trailing wires. The team felt disconnected from each other. Many rooms lacked adequate natural light and felt oppressive. Some of the post-war extensions were damp and warren-like. Furthermore, the organisation was growing and could not easily be contained within the existing structure.
The GMS brief to Emrys Architects was to identify ways of better utilising the property within the constraints of the existing listed buildings and their outbuildings. They required Great James Street to be a flagship headquarters and although steeped in tradition, GMS happily embrace contemporary architecture.
Interiors
The client wished to break out from the confined spaces of the Georgian terrace to allow easier communication between each other whilst retaining some delineation between departments.
Our solution was to retain and enhance the grandeur of the listed terrace and to introduce an entirely new structure in the tight land-locked space to the rear to create a dramatic transition from old to the new.
Following an audit of the existing outbuildings, it was agreed with the local authority to retain some elements. The most notable feature was the existing silver vault, a brick barrel-arched structure that included a heavy steel door. Whilst this was not ideally located, it was used as the starting point for the space plan of the lower floors and became an unconventional meeting room.
The new structure is on two levels and is accessible from the Georgian terrace at both lower ground and ground floors.
The work spaces have been configured to allow departments to occupy clearly demised areas, yet still allow full connectivity between groups. Departments are positioned in areas that have the best natural light and access to the external courtyards. There are no physical divisions between each place.
An asymmetric lofted ceiling sits under the new roof with recessed lighting accentuating the geometric planes. A double height void is cut out at the rear and a cantilevered timber staircase rises through to connect the floors. Use of roof lights and glazed access to courtyard areas has ensured that the building is flooded with light.
Chevron oak parquet floor runs throughout the new offices and timber joists on the lower floor have been left exposed and lime washed.
Faced with the restriction of the land-locked site, we took the existing heights of key points around the perimeter to the rear of the listed building and used this for inspiration for an unusual triangulated roof form.
In order to maximise the potential of the space and introduce drama, certain elements of the roof shape were pulled upward increasing the internal floor-to-ceiling heights. The contemporary folded roof form is complemented by the use of a copper bronze alloy in a flush rain screen arrangement, the patina selected to harmonise with the existing townhouse.
The walls adjacent to the light wells are fully glazed and additional windows and roof lights added to maximise light penetration into the plan.
The structure is made up of a series of folded triangular plates that are self-supporting when all panels are in place. These are retained by a continuous light-weight steel ring beam that ties all the panels together and prevents them from sliding away. Triangular roof lights are placed outside this ring beam and allow light to penetrate down to the lower ground floor.
Long section
Outcome
“Emrys Architects have taken unusable areas and created stunning new offices that have transformed our working day.” – Tom Gibbon, Managing Director, GMS Estates
Cross section
Architects: Emrys Architects Location: Bloomsbury, London WC1 Type Of Project: Refurbishment and Extension Structural Engineers: Elliott Wood Partnership Project Architect: Gwilym Jones Design Team: Glyn Emrys, Matt Blackden, Nuno Meira, Gwilym Jones Client: GMS Estates Funding: Private Tender date: December 2012 Start on site date: 4th March 2013 Contract duration: 36 Weeks Gross internal floor area: 440sqm – 4,734sqft Form of contract and/or procurement: Traditional /JCT Standard Form of Building Contract Total cost: £1m
UK-based Guy Hollaway Architects has become the latest firm to install a slide inside an office building with this renovation for online events guide View London (+ slideshow).
Guy Hollaway Architects overhauled a former nightclub in Kent, England, to create the office block and installed the slide between View London‘s two floors at the top of the building.
Made from stainless steel, the tubular slide slots comfortably between the two levels and is big enough to fit just one person at a time.
Guy Hollaway told Dezeen the slide was his client’s suggestion. “The client is very forward thinking and wanted to create a relaxed, fun working environment,” he said.
The architects also renovated the other three floors of the building. The ground floor, referred to as the Factory Room, functions as an incubator for new businesses starting up, while the remaining levels accommodate flexible office spaces and meeting rooms.
The building’s historic facade was retained and painted black, contrasting with a new undulating glass wall that sits alongside.
“Whilst the building has a traditional facade, the client wanted people to know that behind it is a modern working building. The surrounding glass gives these clues,” Hollaway explained.
“The undulating glass creates a further contrasting facade and allowed us to set the glazing behind the historical facade, this making it look like it is floating off the front,” he added.
The fourth floor, which was added during the renovation, is set back from the facade, creating a south-facing balcony looking out towards the sea.
Here’s a project description from Guy Hollaway Architects:
The Workshop
The concept behind ‘The Workshop’ is to provide a flexible workspace with a lively working environment. The upper floors are connected by an industrial slide which provides quick circulation between the floors. These floors are occupied by View London, Londoner’s guide to London. The other floors provide flexible office space and meeting rooms.
The ground ‘Factory Floor’, is an incubator space, where space can be rented by fledgling businesses, providing aid to local economy, adding to Folkstone’s Creative Quarter.
The former night-club now houses five floors of flexible office space and commercial space on the ground floor called ‘the Factory Floor’. The new design retains the historic façade as it was key for planners to maintain the existing facade within the conversation area. However, it was also important for the client to create a new building statement hence the boldness of the black facade.
The design was complex to build, with the facade having to be suspended during construction to insert the surrounding contemporary glass facade whose curving undulations feed into the historical original facade, where old meets new. This organic glazed element elegantly filters light into the internal office spaces.
The design features an additional upper floor, which is set back from the existing facade line. This creates a south facing external balcony space, which uses the existing façade as a balustrade giving a view over the town and towards the English Channel.
Architects Takero Shimazaki and Charlie Luxton have renovated a 1960s house outside London to create a modern home that features black-painted brickwork, large windows and a new angular roof (photographs by Edmund Sumner + slideshow).
Now named Aperture in the Woods, the old house had been vacant for three years and was desperately in need of repairs, but Shimazaki and Luxton chose to retain and modernise as much as possible of the houses’s original structure to preserve its simple character.
“Whilst the existing house was not a building of significant design importance, we felt there was a spirit there worth preserving and enhancing, being that of post-war British modernism,” they said.
New brickwork was added and the whole house was then painted black to hide the junctions between new and old.
“It was clear that no matter how carefully we tried to match the brick a homogenous finish would not be achieved,” said the architects. “Black was chosen to make the house recede into the shadows created by the surrounding woodlands.”
The architects increased the angle of the roof to heighten the ceiling in the open-plan living room and create a row of clerestory windows.
More new windows frame vistas of a nearby church, but also offer residents views of a wildflower garden planted between the house and the forest.
“Without any curtains or blinds, the house is a transparent black viewing box, its external walls reflecting or absorbing the surrounding nature throughout the season,” added the architects.
A glazed lobby provides a new entrance to the house. Inside, walls are painted white and are complemented by oak joinery and wooden floors.
Bedrooms sit on the opposite side of the house to the living areas, while a small office is tucked away at the back.
Aperture in the Woods, High Bois Lane, Buckinghamshire
A conversion of a derelict 1960s modernist house in the outskirts of Amersham, Buckinghamshire, the house has multiple aspects and is sited next to a local Church and surrounded by the Buckingham woodland.
Reflecting the economic downturn post 2008 and with a limited project budget, the design developed out of the architectural language of the original house; the owners and the architects working as much as possible to maximise the existing structure.
Most of the original brickwork was retained and added to. It was clear that no matter how carefully we tried to match the brick a homogenous finish would not be achieved. It was decided to paint the brick and the black was chosen to make the house recede into the shadows created by the surrounding woodlands. One half of the roof was raised to create a taller, sharper, pitch to the living room. Bedrooms were placed in the other half, retained at its original pitch, with an additional volume projecting into the garden to create a larger master bedroom. A new glass entrance lobby has also been added to open up the front of the house.
The family recently relocated from London to enjoy life within the Buckingham woods. The house is Phase 1 of 3 phases that will include additional spaces for quieter activities such as a study/guest house (Phase 2) and a green house (Phase 3).
Views of the house’s woodland surroundings were made through careful amendments to the existing openings, with additional apertures focusing on specific viewpoints including the church, immediate and distant woods and the newly planted wild flower garden to the front of the house.
Without any curtains or blinds, the house is a transparent black viewing box, its external walls reflecting or absorbing the surrounding nature throughout the season. The interior is realised in a light grey tone with all joinery including windows and doors in oak. The contrast of dark and light makes this building highly ephemeral and reflects the family’s aspirations for more dynamic living. The house is often used as a shelter for music events (with all the doors and windows open!), gatherings for local families and children as well as a quiet retreat for the family.
The project is a collaboration between Takero Shimazaki Architecture (t-sa) and Charlie Luxton.
Client: Jonathan and Ana Maria Harbottle Architect: Takero Shimazaki Architecture (t-sa) and Charlie Luxton Design Team: Jennifer Frewen, Charlie Luxton, Takero Shimazaki, Meiri Shinohara Structural Engineer: milk structures Approved Inspector: STMC Building Control Main Contractor: Silver Square Construction Solutions Ltd Single ply roof: Bauder
Dezeen promotion: design show designjunction and online retailer Clippings.com have teamed up to bring a Christmas pop-up shop to London‘s Covent Garden.
Silt tea set by VW+BS
The temporary shop in the Seven Dials area of Covent Garden is stocking Christmas gifts from stocking fillers and greeting cards to glassware, cushions and decorative lighting, as well as our Dezeen Book of Ideas.
Diamond Light by Eric Therner
A stackable tea set by VW+BS, diamond-shaped light bulbs by Eric Thurner and wooden shelves in the form of a deer’s head by BEdesign are among the products for sale.
4 December 2013 – 5 January 2014 53 Monmouth Street, Seven Dials, Covent Garden London WC2H 9DG
London’s leading design show designjunction and online retail market place clippings.com have joined forces to create the ultimate Christmas shop in time for the festive season. Located in the heart of Covent Garden, in a prime retail space on the Seven Dials, this vibrant new pop-up shop is set to open later this week.
Curated by designjunction, shoppers can expect to find a range of products from an eclectic mix of emerging labels alongside selected established design brands.
1882, Kangon Arora, VW+BS, HAM, Natasha Lawless, Kaymet, Lane, Lovely Pigeon, Vitamin and BEdesign are just some of the brands that have joined this exciting line-up.
Customers can expect to find the perfect festive gifts from small stocking fillers, watches, ceramics, greeting cards to glassware, cushions and decorative lighting.
As part of the Seven Dials late-night shopping evening on Thursday 5 December from 5–9pm, shoppers can take advantage of a 20% discount on all purchases made on the night – don’t miss this opportunity to buy the latest trends at unbeatable prices!
You can shop in-store from Wednesday 4 December or buy online up until Christmas.
Ammar Basheir and Flower Michelin Limited have designed a retail interior for a west London boutique where garments are displayed within a series of bespoke metal screens (+ slideshow).
Ammar Basheir and London studio Flower Michelin‘s design for On Motcomb within a grade II listed building is hidden from the external facade, concealed by golden ornaments in the window.
“Once inside, the evening wear is gradually revealed and unveiled, glimpsed through a series of curtain-like bespoke laser-cut metal screens and powder-coated fins,” said the architects.
On the ground floor, small enclosures within the boutique are created by the curtain-like metal strips, within which gowns are hung from rectangular rails suspended from the ceiling.
The screens also cover the walls and partially reveal ornate wallpaper that references the era of the building.
A staircase covered in sections of antique mirror leads the visitor to the basement. Full-height mirrors lean against dressing room walls, which are subtly illuminated.
The range of lighting levels throughout the store were designed in collaboration with specialist lighting designer Stephen Cannon-Brookes.
Here is some more information from the architects:
Flower Michelin Ltd: Completed Project ON Motcomb
ON Motcomb is set in a double shop-unit over the Ground and Basement floors of a Grade II Listed Building within the Belgravia Conservation Area and the Grosvenor Estate.
The streetscape of the property frontages are part of a prestigious destination shopping street and held in high regard by Westminster and Grosvenor, who wish to preserve and uphold their character, where possible.
Design concept: the proposal encloses the interior from the external façade, deliberately restricting the visual connection between the ‘street’ and the interior.
Once inside, the evening wear is gradually revealed and unveiled, glimpsed through a series of curtain-like bespoke laser-cut metal screens and powder coated fins.
The gowns are displayed behind these screens against a backdrop of ornate wallpaper (that pays homage to detailed plasterwork of a previous era), wall washed with recessed lighting details.
This concealed perimeter lighting allows scene control through a range of lighting levels, designed in collaboration with specialist Lighting Designer, Stephen Cannon-Brookes, with the ceiling detail also cleverly concealing air conditioning vents.
Stair well leading to Basement: Grey antique mirror wraps the stairwell walls, with wall wash lighting details to the landing and grey smoked glass balustrade infill.
Basement: Two elegant and spacious Dressing Rooms with day and night lighting settings, Guest seating area, Tailor’s space, Office, Kitchenette, WC, Storage.
ON Motcomb ‘brand’ presents the first boutique in London to carry this exclusive edit of evening wear straight from International Catwalks (London, Paris, Milan and New York) and from the very best Designers and emerging brands.
News: Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have designed a 56-storey cylindrical skyscraper as part of a nine-hectare masterplan proposed for London’s Canary Wharf.
The residential tower is one of five new buildings proposed at Wood Wharf, the eastern end of Canary Wharf, in the first phase of a major mixed-used development submitted for planning approval today by London architecture firm Allies and Morrison.
Herzog & de Meuron and London studio Stanton Williams are working on the three residential buildings of the proposal, providing a total of 884 homes, while Allies and Morrison has designed two office blocks targeted at creative media, technology and telecommunications companies.
Later phases of the masterplan aim to surround the new buildings with a network of public squares and parks, as well as over 100 shops, restaurants and cafes at street level. Additional buildings will accommodate education and healthcare facilities, while more residential accommodation will bring the total of new homes up to 3100.
George Iacobescu of property developer Canary Wharf Group commented: “This is an exciting new project for Canary Wharf Group which represents the continued redevelopment of east London almost 30 years after the original transformation of Canary Wharf began.”
“The revised masterplan will create a strong and complementary mix of uses, and provide new homes, offices and retail spaces set within a network of streets and public spaces, designed to support the social life of new residents, employees and the surrounding community,” he added.
If planning approval is granted, construction of the phase one buildings is set to commence next year, with completion scheduled for 2017.
Here’s the full press release from Canary Wharf Group:
Canary Wharf Group submits new Planning Application for Mixed Use Urban Neighbourhood on Canary Wharf’s Eastern Edge
» Revised masterplan by Allies and Morrison will broaden Canary Wharf’s appeal as a working and living urban district
» New Wood Wharf neighbourhood will be defined by a network of high quality parks and public squares with a kilometre of dock-edge walkways
» The new neighbourhood will offer a range of homes from park-side townhouses and affordable housing to luxury penthouses in some of London’s tallest residential buildings designed by world-class architects
» New offices will appeal to a range of tenants but with a focus on creative media, technology and telecommunications
» Over 100 new shops, restaurants and cafes are planned at street level that will attract a range of new concepts and products
» The Masterplan provides for: – 3,100 residential units – 240,000 sqm (2.57 million sq.ft.) (GIA) of commercial offices – 31,000 sqm (340,000 sq.ft.) (GIA) of shops, cafes and restaurants – 3.6 hectares (8.9 acres) of interconnected public spaces
» Illustrative design information for Phase I to include 884 residential units in 3 buildings designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Stanton Williams totalling 100,379 sq. m (1,080,179 sq ft) (GIA); and 2 office buildings totalling over 20,000 sq. m (216,000 sq.ft.) (GIA) designed by Allies and Morrison. All three architectural practices are internationally acclaimed and award winning firms of the highest calibre (see notes below).
– Planning application submitted today to London Borough of Tower Hamlets – Extensive public consultation has been undertaken over the last 12 months – Details can be found at www.shapingwoodwharf.com – New images of development released alongside revised plans
Continuing the redevelopment of East London
Canary Wharf Group plc (“Canary Wharf Group”) today announces that it has submitted planning applications for, a new 9.23 hectares (22.8 acres) mixed-use urban neighbourhood immediately east of Canary Wharf in central London. The new masterplan proposes the development of more than 3,000 homes and over 240,000 sq. m (2.57 million sq.ft.) (GIA) of commercial offices offering a range of floor plates that will appeal to a wide array of occupiers including the fast expanding TMT sector.
Commenting on the plans, Sir George Iacobescu, Chairman and Chief Executive of Canary Wharf Group plc, said:
“This is an exciting new project for Canary Wharf Group which represents the continued redevelopment of East London almost 30 years after the original transformation of Canary Wharf began. The revised masterplan will create a strong and complementary mix of uses, and provide new homes, offices and retail spaces set within a network of streets and public spaces, designed to support the social life of new residents, employees and the surrounding community. It is a reflection of the demand we are seeing in the market, and is an opportunity for us to further expand the appeal of Canary Wharf by creating a new and exciting mixed use neighbourhood at Wood Wharf which will offer greater diversity and amenity and a richer urban fabric for the fast emerging City Centre of Canary Wharf.”
A range of house types are proposed for 3,100 residential units, including town houses and mid and high-rise apartment buildings. Housing tenure will include private housing for sale and rent and intermediate and affordable housing for rent. The planned offices will be capable of accommodating a wide range of company sizes and types, in line with the mixture of demand we anticipate including the expanding TMT sector in East London. This vibrant, new development is expected to create over 17,000 new jobs, of which we expect around 3,500 will be taken by local residents.
Building a Community
The broad range of public spaces, homes, offices and shops is designed to offer a rich and diverse working and living environment. This diversity is a key element of the new Masterplan. The shops and restaurants will include a range of names new to London to further expand Canary Wharf’s broad retail offer. The Masterplan provides for two hotels and serviced apartments. The scheme also includes 3.6 hectares of interconnected public spaces with two squares and two parks, one based on a typical London square, the other lining the southern dock edge of Wood Wharf with 1km of dockside boardwalks.
Plans for Wood Wharf include a two-form entry primary school, a multi-purpose sports hall and a healthcare facility. The highly successful Arts and Events Programme at Canary Wharf will be expanded and will offer a range of cultural activities and events in new venues and the planned public spaces at Wood Wharf.
Transport considerations include the installation of London Cycle Hire bicycles, a new bus route through the site and improved pedestrian connectivity to London Underground, DLR & Crossrail. Two car clubs are planned along with parking for 1,100 spaces.
On the importance of public space, Robert Maguire, Project Director for Wood Wharf said:
“With an extensive new network of public spaces and water’s edge boardwalks, the Wood Wharf masterplan places high quality public space at the heart of the design process. The principle achievement of the masterplan – the ‘glue’ which holds the neighbourhood together – will always be its well-considered network of streetscapes, squares, parks and water spaces. We are building a community that will both support, and be supported by, the success of Canary Wharf and the 110,000 people that work and visit Canary Wharf each day.”
Next Steps
Herzog & de Meuron and Stanton Williams have been appointed to work alongside Allies and Morrison in designing the first phase buildings within Wood Wharf. If planning permission is granted, construction is expected to start in Q4 2014 with the first buildings to be completed in 2017.
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