In recent years Thameside West has been experiencing a period of rapid change and transformation amidst the delivery of an array of development schemes. The Peruvian Wharf site is located in the heart of this dynamic up-and-coming area and benefits from its close proximity to the West Silvertown DLR station. The arrival of Crossrail in the Royal Docks and further plans to improve public transport in the area will increasingly elevate the importance of Peruvian Wharf as an access node for local residents, workers and visitors to the area.
The development site is 4ha in size and is set within a predominately industrial context. International coating resin manufacturer Nuplex Corporate is situated to the west to the site, with a mix of uses including an operational Tate & Lyle golden syrup factory and the former animal-rendering firm John Knight Ltd directly to the east. The established residential neighbourhood, Britannia Village, is to the north on the opposite side of North Woolwich Road and the DLR line.
EPR’s masterplan proposals offer a high-quality, residential-led, mixed-use development with a well-connected public realm integrated within unique landscape scheme. These proposals will become the blueprint for the future development of adjacent industrial sites as they come forward and the area transforms and is reinvented.
A new public space located directly to the south of West Silvertown DLR station will be the focus of the scheme, enhancing the immediate area through high-quality landscaping of the public realm with active ground-floor uses, including the potential for a food convenience store, cafes and SME workspace.
The DLR station and associated new public space are marked by the tallest building proposed within the scheme: a 20-storey residential tower. This landmark building, which defines the eastern edge of the new public space, is set within the first of three predominantly brick ‘perimeter’ blocks, which in total provide 950 apartments.
Routes through the new public space lead to the first of two additional and more generously sized residential blocks. Both have been designed as perimeter block typologies, with clearly defined streets forming the outer edges, activated by ground-floor residential entrances. Secure courtyard gardens within each of the blocks provide generous areas of private and communal amenity space which are completely sheltered from the surrounding industrial uses.
The communal gardens within each of the blocks are raised by one floor to allow car parking and other ancillary uses, including bicycle parking and an energy centre, to be located below and then ‘wrapped’ by a residential frontage so to ensure the surrounding network of streets are overlooked and vibrant. The character of the residential streets will be set by regularly positions ground-floor entrances to private duplex units (accessed via private front gardens), occasionally punctuated by entrances to communal cores serving the apartments above.
Despite the challenges presented by the current industrial context, the Peruvian Wharf masterplan proposals seize on many of the opportunities that the vacant brownfield site offers and will become an integral part of the Thameside West vision, functioning as a regeneration catalyst for adjoining sites in this evolving part of Newham.
Client: Galliard Homes | Services: Masterplanning; Architecture | Size: 950 apartments
