Urbanising the Royal Docks
Towards a Productive Ecology
London Design Workshop (January - March 2015)
Housing + Urbanism, AA School of Architecture
London's Royal Docks contain some of the most challenging urban complexities of any region in the city. A classic example of post-industrial decline, the region suffers from high unemployment rates, low education levels, under-utilised infrastructure and lack of resources within a fragmented urban fabric. As London's land values continue to rise, the pressure to develop the peripheral region is mounting.
The proposed development strategies presented in the publication serve to envision the future of the Royal Docks, deriving a strategic approach that transforms the opportunities and constraints of the site at multiple scales, challenging the regions current piecemeal and market-driven interventions.
By focussing on three key areas of intervention on the site - i.e. the industrial zone in the west, transit town-centre in the centre and Albert Island in the east, the proposals intend to provide means to synthesise the disparate existing elements at the docks, while instigating new development.
The transit-oriented centre stresses the strategic potential of mobility integration at the Royal Docks. Despite London City Airport – an important connection point between London and Europe – being located at its centre, the Royal Docks lack a strong mobility route connecting it with the rest of the city. The Docklands Light Rail has a limited capacity and is a slow, time-consuming mode of transport. The transport hub argues for the need for an additional Crossrail station near the airport, along the new line being built through the site. Quick access to central London from the centre of the docks would not only cut down on travel time from City to Europe but would also create opportunities as a well-connected site for the currently alienated Royal Docks.
The Industrial Quarter proposal argues for the need to shift from the previously existing heavy industries, by providing needed workspace for London’s growing creative industry. Large sized industrial infrastructure is broken down to a more human scale by the insertion of transitional spaces, to accommodate living environments alongside the workshops and studios. The flexible nature of the creative industry workspace makes it an ideal transitional function for the industrial quarter, which could be further adapted through the future to accommodate more housing or other work sectors.
Albert Island is a key location of interest, with views of the Thames, of the Docks and of aircraft landing and taking off from the runway; yet height restrictions due to its proximity to the runway keep built mass to a minimum. The proposal suggests a mix of urban agriculture research and development, as an extension of neighbouring universities to the north of the island, alongside leisure and sport for public use.
The strategy unlocks the potentials of synergies and presents a variety of activities that perform in a coherent manner, utilising infrastructure and addressing the larger regional context. The complexity of the urbanisation process highlights the need for London's shifting politics and development trends to initiate specific development strategies which incorporate political, economic and spatial dimensions.
This project is the result of a term of research and experimentation amongst a 10-member team, working in direct collaboration with the London Borough of Newham's Planning and Regeneration Department to challenge current trends in redevelopment through the role of urban strategies and architectural reasoning.
