Client:
Multiplex Construction Europe
Contractor:
Willerby Landscapes Ltd
Landscape Architect:
Gillespies
Project details:
The largest of the three Royal Group of Docks in East London, Royal Albert Dock was opened in 1880 and loaded its last vessel some 100 years later, leaving vast swathes of derelict land for many decades after. The first phase of regeneration of the area came with the opening of London City Airport on the south side of the dock in 1987, since when the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has been extended along both sides of the dock for the benefit of future development. Royal Albert Dock as a whole is now being brought back to life in a massive project covering the equivalent area of 35 football pitches, creating a new district in the London Borough of Newham with large scale housing developments and offering opportunities for local work and leisure. Investment in the area totals £1.7 billion, creating up to 30,000 jobs and generating £6 billion to the London economy, with the first phase of the project due for completion at the same time that Crossrail, London’s high-speed rail link, opens nearby. Along the north side of the dock, between Newham Council’s Dockside Building and the University of East London’s Docklands Campus, the development will comprise a new business district along with shops, cafes and apartments as well as the opening up of the dockside promenade. Two of the original port buildings – the Central Buffet and Dockmaster’s Office – will be restored to their former glory, form the main gateway to the new development and become the site of one of several new public squares.
Attracting and retaining visitors is a priority for the site in its early years in particular, and extensive high quality improvements have notably been made to the hard landscape environment. Seating forms a central part of the landscape strategy and is a bold design at a large scale that suits the wide open spaces of the dockside setting. Designed as a concept by Gillespies landscape architects, Furnitubes developed the designs through to manufacturing detail for the high back double-sided modules that are joined in groups of three, with four assemblies in total. The seats comprise iroko slats on an internal steel structure, with adjustable feet for levelling and removable steel end plates through which to access the internal void, where lighting will be installed so that the seats form attractive features at night as well as during the day. With each group of seats standing at over 1.5m high and 7.5m long they are impressive additions to this exciting new development area.
Visit the Furnitubes International website for more information on Royal Albert Docks, London