Since the shutdown of Battersea Power Station in 1983, this area on the south side of the River Thames has been derelict. The first phases of its regeneration are finally on the verge of implementation; Sleaford Street was identified as a location for some of the affordable housing.

Project Details +

Project Details

LOCATION: London, UK
CLIENT: Battersea Power Station Development Company
DATE: 2014
STATUS: Invited Competition
SIZE: 46,000m² (Including: 31,000m² residential and 433 housing units, 5,000m² office, 800m² retail/F&B)

Credits +

Credits

ACME: Nicholas Channon, Paula Ibarrondo, Friedrich Ludewig, Paolo Moretto, Jan Saggau, Sofia Steffenoni

Located within a high density area, facing the rail tracks coming from Waterloo Station on the south, the site suffers from a lack of connectivity, resulting in dead ends, low footfall, and a feeling of being lost and unsafe when navigating the area.

The scheme seeks to limit the annoyances caused by the rail traffic by creating a series of east-west facing buildings perpendicular to the railway tracks. A southern building with incubator business units acts as a buffer between trains and the residential courtyard spaces. A new street is opened on the southern edge, utilising an existing bridge and turning two previously unsafe cul-de-sacs into a meaningful urban east-west connection.

The massing of the east-west facing blocks is kinked at strategic locations to reduce the perceived length of the buildings and define the public spaces. The façades are articulated through coloured bricks, fading in colour from garden to sky, as well as oversized balconies for all apartments that vary footprint and orientation to create a sense of movement across the blocks. Roof spaces, podiums over parking and over shops are designed as accessible gardens and play areas to promote an active community and a sense of ownership between residents.

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