Ian Ritchie Architects were appointed by Berkeley Homes to design a mixed use development of cultural, commercial and residential uses on this very prominent site adjacent to a World Heritage site of the Tower of London, conservation areas and listed structures.
The ambition is to both enlarge Potters Fields Park and to create a permeable public realm through the site. The design strategy basis is a theme of ‘pavilions’ of small footprints at ground level that establishes a variety of active internal and external public cultural and community spaces.
The urban composition is developed from an innovative typology of ‘mini towers’ that is both sympathetic to and reconciles the finer historical grain of the Shad Thames area with the large grain of More London and the new City Hall, to which it also relates to the curvilinear form, and to the verticality and scale of the adjacent Tower Bridge. The massing strategy encourages sky views and light to penetrate through and into the site, while promoting views through the site that acknowledge the importance of adjacent historic landmarks. The elliptical plan geometry of the mini-towers, which tapers vertically, generates a form for each that enables flexibility in the overall composition of the mini-towers, variation in orientation and a dynamic reading of them, and sufficient internal space planning flexibility within to accommodate different levels of occupancy.
The towers are entirely glazed with every level surrounded by continuous stainless steel balconies. The outer edges of the balconies are defined by an extended glass balustrade that provides a protective visual and environmental ‘veil’. The proposed perimeter wall glazing will be entirely of low-iron (colourless), transparent, translucent and opaque triple-glazed panels. Ian Ritchie Architects have design and engineered the facades in collaboration with Pilkington, and this project, if built during 2006 would be the first application on a multi-storey residential project of a triple-glazed structural point fixed façade, also incorporating two-layers low E coated glass. This façade would greatly exceed the new Part L thermal insulation standards due to come into effect in the UK in 2006. The aim of this new legislation is to reduce energy losses by up to 40% over the existing. Ceramic fritting to the outside of the glass balconies will soften and reduce light reflections from the buildings.
A planning permission was made to the London Borough of Southwark in February 2003 which proposes more than 11,000m2 of public/cultural space, 386 residential units, of which 115 are for affordable/key worker accommodation.