Down By The River

SOM and GROSS. MAX., architects and landscapers respectively, were gifted with a blank canvas of sorts, outlined by Greenwich Peninsula’s proximity to the River Thames, and a brief that engages with a far-sighted approach to building a neighbourhood from the ground up. For a new urban space to succeed, it needs life-affirming amenities that its residents can feel proud of for the long term— spaces to hang out, art, as well as thoughtfully designed public spaces, all go a tremendous way towards achieving this.

With the Upper Riverside neighbourhood now complete, and full of new residents calling it home, we’re throwing it back to when the Peninsulist interviewed the architects responsible for making the vision a reality.

The shifting cultural face of Copenhagen’s harbour, or the rejuvenation of Melbourne’s Docklands, a 190-hectare area offering a mix of residential, commercial, retail, dining and leisure, are both examples of new waterfront districts that have been activated through relevant cultural outposts.

“Hudson Yards in New York is another one to watch,” tip Anne Hynes and Jenni Carbins, who were responsible for the cultural curation of London’s Southbank, and are now bringing the best-in-class restaurants, bars, cafés and shops to Greenwich Peninsula. And for Upper Riverside, the newest stage of this regeneration? “We were inspired by Shad Thames in London”, they say, “which was regenerated through the 1980s and 1990s when disused warehouses were converted into flats, many with restaurants, bars and shops appearing on the ground floor.”

Part of the team tapped to bring the vision of Upper Riverside to life, is Eelco Hooftman of GROSS. MAX., who suggests it all begins with quite a traditional feature of urban planning: “What we’re doing in this neighbourhood is creating a town square, which has a direct relationship with the Thames,” he says. Hooftman is not alone in his preoccupation with the Peninsula’s natural assets. While the natural landscape and industrial fabric of the area may have shifted, the Thames continues to be a constant point of focus for the whole Peninsula —with its dramatic tidal rise and fall, it’s not tricky to see its pull.

Kent Jackson, design director at SOM’s London office, is known for spearheading projects that prioritise both the human experience and the natural environment. Established in 1936, the firm masterplanned Canary Wharf in the 1980s, and was essential in shaping the area. For the Upper Riverside district, Jackson and his team have designed a series of five, light-filled glass and stone towers that tier downwards to the riverbank, and are crowned by lush roof gardens.

Nearly every apartment is afforded views of the Thames and is designed to feel spacious and light; the loft apartments, particularly, maximise the natural draws of the site. With double-height ceilings, Jackson sees these dwellings as a new spatial paradigm for high-rise living: “We’re changing the face of residential architecture here.” The great outdoors has even been considered in the design of the high-level swimming pool: “You can just imagine swimming, the skyline of London as your view,” muses Jackson.

SOM’s glinting angular towers will define the Greenwich Peninsula skyline: “We’ve looked at how this works from the riverfront square to the cable cars to the south. The result is this really elegant, undulating elevation along the river. It will bring the Southbank feel to the Peninsula.”

For Jackson, too, the riverside site was key to defining the scheme: “This is one of the best locations in London and we wanted to make the most of the closeness to the Thames—to enhance the great positioning, and bring in a new creative feel to this enclave on the Peninsula.” It’s a democratic approach, as the design allows visitors and residents alike access to the waterfront, creating a fantastic public destination.

Intersecting Upper Riverside and stretching along the waterfront is The Tide, London’s first-ever elevated riverside linear park. Featuring a series of free-to-view pieces of public art and meditation pods, The Tide will eventually stretch 5km in length and will grow with the development of the whole Peninsula.

SOM and GROSS. MAX. have taken a great interest in the spaces between the residential towers: cascading green terraces, planted with white poplars and silver maples are primed for sunny afternoon lounging, making for ideal promenading. It’s a social pastime that suits Hooftman, his firm being familiar with many waterfront regenerations globally: “You see this all over Europe, especially in Italy where they have the passeggiata—it’s good to see how London has had an amazing renaissance in this respect over the last ten years.”

In London, GROSS. MAX. is responsible for Lyric Square, Potters Fields Park, the public spaces around Festival Hall, and the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. “It’s a fantastic experience to have a force of nature right on your doorstep. For us, the river is not only about space and recreation, it’s to be experienced on a daily basis,” he says.

As well as its anchorage to the Thames, one of the landscape design’s defining features is its achievement of abundant light and space within high-rise architecture. “I think what the riverfront landscape can do is be the intermediate between the private, the semi-private and the public. It’s about the transformation of scale, coming out of your more secluded apartments, facing this fantastic wide expansive space. Kent [Jackson] and I talked a lot about London, and if there’s any place in the world where we enjoy parks in a very creative, spontaneous way, it’s here—this landscape will become very important to creating that sense of place.”

Greenwich Peninsula's Upper Riverside neighbourhood is now complete and new homes are available to buy or rent. Our teams are offering virtual tours and appointments, so you can get a feel for what’s on offer from the comfort of your sofa. Find out more here.