South Quay Plaza, Tower Hamlets, London – Berkeley Homes with HTA Design

This masterplan introduces 3 acres of public green space alongside three new residential buildings, transforming a closed vacant plot, opening up walking and cycling links and using diagonal desire lines to link the water’s edge to South Quay Station and Marsh Wall.

 

Where is the project located

183-189 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9TT

 

Who is the developer/client of the project?

Berkeley Homes

 

 

Describe the context of this project and its neighbourhood and people?

 

South Quay Plaza (SQP) sits at a pivotal intersection of the historic South Dock and Millwall Cutting in the Isle of Dogs. The Canary Wharf financial hub to the north and mid to low rise residential neighbourhoods to the south characterised the Isle of Dogs until the end of the 21st century. In recent years high-rise residential developments emerging in the wider South Dock area are rapidly transforming it to a more mixed used neighbourhood. Whilst water and road infrastructure are dominant characteristics of the urban fabric, there is generally limited greenspace in the area, which is further compounded by a number of high-density developments with limited public realm offer.

 

The SQP site itself went through significant changes in recent history, resulting in a fragmented piece of public realm with a large vacant plot closed off to the public since the 1996 Docklands bombing and an underused section of the DLR undercroft. Acting as both a visual and physical barrier to movement, while terminating poorly the views on the axis of Millharbour the site called for a radical and far-reaching design approach.

 

Contrasting the urban intensification of Canary Wharf and the surrounding Marsh Wall and Isle of Dogs, the SQP masterplan introduces 3 acres of much needed public greenspace associated with three new residential buildings on a site of 4.5 acres, rescuing a vacant plot that has been closed to the public since for over 20 years and renovating public realm associated with existing buildings beyond the development’s ‘red line’

 

Tell us what you did and how it was designed and delivered. What do you see as the greatest success of this project?

 

HTA have been involved in the project since 2015, taking the landscape design from planning to completion. The masterplan was designed to create much needed public greenspace at the base of three new tall residential buildings. The design strategies of slender building footprints and locating all vehicular servicing in the basement combine to release over two thirds of the site as public realm. The design opens walking and cycling connections and provides high levels of walkability to the wider area responding to diagonal desire lines connecting the water’s edge to South Quay Station and Marsh Wall. The majority of the park sits atop a two-storey basement that houses servicing and parking.

The project has been a success in the following ways:

 

• Transforming the area into a biodiverse parkland comprised of tranquil waterside gardens

 

• Introducing over 320 mature trees to a site with none before development

 

• Creating a landmark public space for the wider community to enjoy

 

• Establishing key pedestrian routes connecting Canary Wharf to the Isle of Dogs

 

• Car and service vehicle free public realm

 

• Invisible integration of servicing and ventilation to the basement

 

• Over 500% Biodiversity net gain

 

• 2500 m2 of children’s play space for ages 0-15

 

In contrast to the densely developed surroundings, the new high-quality public realm offers residents and the wider community valuable amenity and a range of recreation opportunities in the form of play, eating, strolling, or resting, encouraging and facilitating a thriving and vibrant public life.

 

How does this public space bring people together, encourage inclusivity, and make a positive environmental impact to the wider place? How is the community engaged in the project?

 

The site sits at a busy thoroughfare at the intersection of Marsh Wall and key pedestrian routes connecting the Isle of Dogs with Canary Wharf. The new public park is a community facility that provides much needed spaces for people to meet, areas for outdoor exercise, play, dining spaces, open lawns and attractive seating spots.

 

The park is inclusive and accessible and has been carefully designed to create a place for local residents of all ages to come together. The park includes a variety of spaces integrating ‘natural’ play equipment amongst planting to encourage a connection with nature.

 

During the design stages, we met local residents and recorded aural histories which informed public art for the site. A local artist was commissioned to write a poem which was inscribed on the stone surfaces, weaving layers of history with the experience of reconnecting with nature.

 

A moveable park with surface mounted planters was built in this area ahead of the main development to create ephemeral greenspace for the community to use while the permanent park was being built.

 

The first three phases of the development were completed between 2018 and 2021 with fourth one well underway Designed to the highest quality, the new public realm has already become popular with local residents, playing a key role in revitalising the public realm of the greater South Quay area, and transforming the South Dock to a destination for people who live and work in the area.

 

Please share any data or figures that support your entry about how this public space or landscape intervention has made a positive social or environmental impact, for example biodiversity, increased dwell time, flood or drainage mitigation, wellness or safety or other ecosystem services.

 

Over two thirds of the site, a total of 3acres, are offered as publicly accessible open space with 2500 sqm of play space. Planting opportunities have been maximised on site with over 100 species of colourful wildlife attracting shrub and herbaceous plants flowering throughout the year. The planting contributes significantly to local nature recovery with the new habitats post completion assessed using the DEFRA’s latest Biodiversity net gain calculator generating a net gain over 500% in area-based habitats due to the ecologically poor value of baseline consisting of buildings and paving. The proposed urban greening strategy has maximised opportunities for Urban Greening achieving an Urban Greening Factor score of 0.41 within the ownership boundary. 400 linear metres of seating benches conceal over 100sqm ventilation and act as retaining edges for soil build-ups required to sustain the tree planting. Creating climate resilience and increasing biodiversity are key drivers for the design of the public realm. A total of 320No mature new trees will be planted across the development including 14m tall, mature Dawn Redwoods that help to manage the microclimate by emulating a closed canopy woodland promoting shade for cooling and reducing wind effects, whilst creating an attractive and useable parkland from day one. A flourishing new piece of parkland is created in the middle of a grey stark Canary Wharf transforming the dockside to a new animated focal point for the Isle of dogs, repairing the urban fabric and forging new connections for the public through the site.