Tideway’s work to upgrade London’s 19th century sewer infrastructure presents an extraordinary opportunity to radically improve the quality of both the Thames river environment and the riverside open spaces. We lead the architectural team for the five sites at the eastern end of the project, comprising sensitive riverside locations, community parks and the curtilage of historic buildings, spread over four boroughs. The sites demonstrate how a grand infrastructure intervention in London can be used to create high quality public spaces near London homes, incorporating public art inspired by each area’s heritage and history.

We worked with BIM and in a Common Data Environment to aid delivery; through close working and iterative design development across all disciplines, we identified and made the most of the opportunities to express the landscaping without compromising functionality. One of the sites, the King Edward Memorial Park Foreshore, is the location of one of the most polluting sewer overflows into the river in London. Our design for the foreshore is within a wider masterplan for the park, developed through close consultation with local residents and the local authority, and provides complementary experiences that encourage visitors to reconnect with the river.

The starting point for the design of King Edward Memorial Park Foreshore is the arrangement of massive below-ground structures necessary to meet the project technical requirements. But the site is also at the sensitive river edge of a hugely important green space in East London: a vital amenity for multiple communities. The design incorporates a sequence of riverside terraces descending towards the water, alongside a new public square and areas of planting to encourage new habitats and increase biodiversity. The soft landscaping design defines a journey from parkland to river, with increasingly wetland planting, creating multiple habitats that expand on the biodiversity objectives of the park and its role as a local educational resource.