Potters Fields London, Southwark Building, Architect, Image, Development News, Proposal Project

Potters Fields London

Proposed Towers in Southwark Building Development design by Ian Ritchie Architects, England, UK

10 + 15 Mar 2011

One Tower Bridge

Southwark Council planners approve plans for One Tower Bridge development design by Squire & Partners.

Squire and Partners Gains Planning Consent for Potters Fields

Berkeley Homes and Squire and Partners are delighted at Southwark Council’s decision to consent the Potters Fields plans last night. The approval follows over two years of design work, combined with detailed reviews and consultations with the stakeholders, including English Heritage, Historic Royal Palaces and local residents and community groups.

Potters Fields picture from architects

The plans for this brownfield site, located between the Greater London Assembly and Tower Bridge on the south bank of the river Thames, consist of 9 blocks of private and affordable residential accommodation and an expanded cultural facility. A long linear building will address the park and the waterfront, connecting Shad Thames with More London.

A slender campanile of 20 storeys will mark the location of the development and add variety to the sky line. Additionally, a new street will be created by the development, visually and physically connecting Queen Elizabeth Street to the southern tower of Tower Bridge.

The building materials, mass, and scale have been carefully designed and chosen to mediate between the traditional brickwork and alleyways of Shad Thames and the modern glass and steel buildings of More London. The use of bespoke London stock bricks, hand cut natural stone work and bronze panelling make the transition from the ‘old’ to the ‘new.’ The landscaping of this important site has been carefully designed with landscape architects Gross Max.

This unique riverside location gives fantastic views of the river, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and City beyond, while the large public cultural facility will enhance the already diverse and existing mix of activities that run along the Thames. Work is planned to start on site later this year.

Potters Fields Development image / information from Squire & Partners

Squire & Partners

POTTER’S FIELDS PRESS STATEMENT

May 2008

Potters Field’s London

“From the outset of the project, Ian Ritchie Architects Ltd has always worked closely and constructively with Berkeley Homes. The scheme offers housing, both private and affordable, eleven thousand square metres of public space of which eight thousand square metres is for cultural use such as museums or galleries while ensuring that the entire ground level forms a permeable and public extension to Potter’s Fields Park through to the riverside walk. It obtained planning permission in February 2006 following a Public Inquiry at which the Inspector concluded in his report (para 1140) to the Secretary of State:

Potters Fields picture from architects

“Overall, I consider that the proposals would provide exemplary and world-class architecture on an outstanding and prominent site. The design is one which people would experience with marvel, wonder and delight. It would respect its context, and would provide an outstanding environment in which people could live, work, visit and enjoy.

It would also add to London’s cultural and social richness. It would add to Potter’s Fields Park and the important open spaces which give so much public enjoyment along the banks of the Thames. It would enhance the whole of the Capital, and would give to London an architectural gem for present and future generations to treasure.”

It is regrettable that the Leader of Southwark Council never took the opportunity to meet or engage with us, or to discuss in public with us the scheme’s planning, architecture and the proposed uses.

The decision by Southwark Council and Berkeley Homes to agree to seek, from other architects, a new design upon the same site, to a very similar brief, is regrettable, This is particularly so as construction of the scheme had already begun. It is difficult to comprehend and is beyond the issue of architecture.”

Ian Ritchie
20 Aug 2005

Potters Fields Development – Further Information

No proposed building is taller than the Tower Bridge towers, in fact the tallest is more than 6m lower (20 feet or 2 floors).

The cultural space provision has been part of the scheme since its inception, and the gross internal floor area for the cultural use is 8,122m2 (87,500 square feet) – almost three time the gross floor area of the present Design Museum at Shad Thames. Ian Ritchie Architects brought to the attention of Southwark Council the idea of a cultural use on this site not only with this scheme, but as far back as 1995 with the Royal Opera House proposal.

Ian Ritchie Architects

Location: Tooley Street, Southwark, London, SE1 2AA, UK

London, England, UK