Southwark and Bankside are some of London’s fastest-changing areas. In the last few years alone they seem to have seen several major development projects – but apparently all that was just the start.
Plans have been announced for a huge new development in Bankside called 18 Blackfriars Road. Consisting of three new buildings (two for residence and one for offices), the project involves all-star architects Foster + Partners – otherwise known for designing London icons the Gherkin, Millennium Bridge and More London. And it looks pretty cool, if you ask us.
The buildings will offer tonnes of new apartments and offices, as well as create public space at ground level. Three interconnected spaces will all centre on a public ‘Rotunda’, within which could be a thriving little spot for pop-up food stalls and events. It’ll effectively create a new neighbourhood on the banks of the Thames.
The two residential tower blocks are set to provide over 400 homes, 40 percent of which are earmarked for affordable housing. The office tower should also include 20,000 square feet of affordable workspace designed to support local businesses, while the site itself intends to operate at net-zero. Currently, the site is apparently a neglected patch of land.
And that isn’t everything. All this is also within walking distance of the buzzing culture hotspot that is the south side of the river. Attractions such as the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre and the Tate Modern are all just round the corner. Exciting, eh?
Here’s how the new neighbourhood should look, once it’s built.
As yet, 18 Blackfriars Road is still at the proposal stage and so doesn’t have a concrete completion date. Watch this space for updates.
Did you see that the UK’s best park has been named – and it’s in London?
Time Out’s brilliant new podcast, ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’, is out now. Listen to the first episode with Bimini in Bankside.
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