Textual content description supplied by the architects. British Land and AustralianSuper, the three way partnership companions behind the Canada Water masterplan, unveiled a brand new Asif Khan-designed public architectural landmark. The dramatic 170m lengthy boardwalk is impressed by the historical past of the Surrey Docks and its position on the coronary heart of the timber commerce throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Townshend Panorama Architect designed a sequence of latest steps all the way down to the water’s edge with waterside seating alongside an academic dipping pond, reworking the world into a singular public house to convey folks collectively to be taught concerning the space’s heritage and ecology. The placing purple timber construction permits folks to traverse the dock by stepping from timber to timber, following within the footsteps of the rafters who hopped between floating deal planks within the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The boardwalk goals to reinforce connectivity inside the city heart whereas offering guests with a brand new approach to expertise nature with out disturbing the surroundings. It presents guests the power to attach with nature and stroll between the totally different pure wildlife habitats. Gracefully weaving throughout the dock, the elevated construction floats on the water’s floor, providing distinctive views and bringing folks all the way down to expertise nature up shut. By way of the creation of a sequence of islands and channels, Townshend, working in collaboration with the London Wildlife Belief, has created a brand new shoreline alongside a mosaic of various habitats that may maximize biodiversity. Three new wetland habitats have been created, alongside seven wetland islands, and over one kilometre of shallow edges. Reed beds, new flowering crops and bushes have been planted to draw dragonflies, butterflies, kingfishers and frogs, whereas offering best nesting habitats for geese, swans and different birds.
Asif Khan stated: “Crossing water can provide us highly effective sensations. This boardwalk immerses us in a number of moments of shade, of nature and of magnificence. I need to evoke the crossing of time too. I hope this offers somebody an opportunity to take a breath and take a look at issues in a brand new means. In right this moment’s world, I feel that is extra essential than ever.”
British Land’s joint head of Canada Water, Emma Cariaga, provides: “Asif Khan is a world-class architectural expertise and he has created a placing new centerpiece at Canada Dock that shall be used each day by the area people. The design is a unbelievable tribute to the world’s wealthy historical past and the boardwalk will join folks to each nature and the encircling space. Canada Water is progressing at tempo with the primary part of properties, workspace and retail finishing within the coming months. Canada Dock supplies us with a singular alternative to create an fascinating place for folks to fulfill and socialize, particularly on the southern edge the place cafes and eating places will spill out onto the dock sooner or later.”
Over the subsequent decade, the 53-acre Canada Water masterplan will ship a brand new district for central London with round 1 million sq ft of latest retail, leisure and training facilities; as much as 2 million sq ft of workspace for 20,000 employees; between 2,000 and 4,000 new properties; all alongside a 3.5-acre public
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