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Isle of Dogs Projects Thread

59K views 130 replies 59 participants last post by  Steve_McMillen 
#1 ·
As activity picks up I feel we need to just have a general thread for development in the area. For some of the bigger schemes we could create separate threads, but many of the smaller out of the way schemes onyl get an update once a month. The South East London thread is getting a bit unwieldy, so I wonder if we should also put Greenwich peninsula stuff in here.


I'll cross post some other people stuff here to build it up.
 
#2 ·
Here is one

I'm loath to put any of my own lame photos on after (another) amazing update from Chest, but I was in the area today and here goes.

I really hope the second phase of the Indescon court scheme (the high-rise bit) goes up eventually; as you can see the Lantern's Court scheme seems monolithic and blocky from the North.





So a 90-100m tower (whether the one planned, or not) would add some much-needed variety!

As yet there is no sign of progress; the site is the marketing suite for the completed low-rise part of the Indescon Court scheme.

I hadn't been to the South Quay for a year - having worked in the area for the previous two - and was actually pretty heartened to see that the previously dismally empty streets south of Marsh Wall now have a bit of life to them. People have moved into some of the new blocks and it was nice to see a mix of families with kids and banker types wandering in and out.

Little things like posters for upcoming events at the community centre adjoining the Mastmaker Road development stuck in people's windows seem... encouraging.



It's not great architecture. But at least there's a bit of density here.



I wonder what's going to happen to the (very large) London Millharbour site - deserted for years now.

Let's hope that, when something does go up, that it's good - if only to offset the effect of two of the area's worst new buildings, the Hilton and Discovery Dock East.



And I wonder when, if ever, they're going to do something about the office scheme adjoining the Hilton.



That scaffolding's been there unchanged since 2007 at least.
 
#4 ·
It was just an idea. I thought it might be good to keep Docklands a bit separate. There are a lot of sites to cover. It would be nice when some one does a photo update then can just post all their photos in one or two places. Some of the smaller projects don't get covered at all or only infrequently. I think that is the sucess of the SE London thread.
 
#5 ·
Here's a list of the Skyscrapers (UK - >150m) that have approval in Canary Wharf/ Docklands. :D

Riverside South - 236m, 189m


North Quay - 216m, 203m, 120m


Heron Quays West - 198m, 147m, 95m


1 Park Place - 197m


Mill Harbour - 151m


Cross Harbour - 150m


Must say, I quite like Cross Harbour ad Mill Harbour. ;)

The Woodwharf redevelopment scheme is the jewel in the crown though!


Woodwharf - 200m, 187m, 182m, 154m




Images:
RS (http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/project/uploaded_files/10680_Riverside south1main.jpg)
NQ (http://www.urbika.com/imgs/projects/large/401_north-quay.jpg)
HQW (http://www.wharf.co.uk/heronquays.jpg)
1PP (http://www.1parkplace.co.uk/1_park_place.jpg)
MH (http://www.coltinfo.co.uk/products-and-systems/smoke-control/img-mill-harbour.jpg)
CH (http://www.skyscrapernews.com/crossharbour_render1.jpg)
 
#19 ·
It's not so much that because as these photos show, there is a lot of dense residential. It's more that people in this country tend not to linger in the streets. They go from A to B. The only people who tend to congregate outside are teenagers or people outside bars and pubs. For most adults, there is definitely a sense that if you go out at night, you have to go to a pub, restaurant or club, you can't just hang out in the street - even on warm nights. it's a shame really.
 
#23 ·
Surely the structure of the streets has something to do with it as well. We don't have boulevards, and the wide pavements that you find on the continent. Nor the park like pedestrian areas you find in some of those separating the traffic. Then there are the narrow winding pedestrianised streets you find in Southern European cities. These are filled with hole in the wall type places, typically bars, but some convert from ice cream parlors in the day, to bars at night. I'm sure the climate has a large part to play, but surely the street structure has a part to play.
 
#24 ·
I lived in Germany and there city centres were not much different to ours. But people do go out as a family to the city centre in evening. Not everyone but enough for it to feel completely different to a UK city centre.

Where I like to go on holiday in Majorca, the town can't have more than 20,000 people. While the streets are fairly narrow (for shading purposes) they all have cars on them apart from the central square.

Culture has a lot to do with how our cities are shaped and the climate has a role as well. In hot countries it's cooler to be outside in the evenings.
 
#26 ·
It's the paved squares that make the difference. I worked in the Netherlands for a bit and you'll see large squares in the centre of cities covered with outside table and chairs (pleins), not just for cafes but also pubs/bars. Often there is a one aimed more at families and one at late night drinking. It's the same in cities like Rome and Barcelona re. paved squares. London actually has lots of squares but they're overwhelmingly little parks like Russel Sq, Bloomsbury Sq, Lec Sq. etc. We ideally need paved ones which are flanked by drinking and eating outlets. Imo Leicester Square would be ideal for this, the green space is bit redundant and just causes congestion on the outer paved ring.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Weather and urban design are minor issues. It's mainly national habit. A language school took over a local school near where I live (Brighton) during the summer, and many of the students just sat there on the pavements even though there are plenty of parks and open spaces nearby. It really bought the street alive and cars had to slow down because people were spilling out onto the road.

Look at these two pedestrian bridges in London and Paris. The Millennium Bridge is used to get from one side to the other, while The Pont Des Arts is also a place to hang around (granted - the MB is narrower, but however wide it was - people still would not sit around like this, even on a hot day).


(http://www.gothereguide.com/tate-modern+london-place/)

(http://drpop.org/2010/08/i-love-paris/)
 
#29 ·
its also warmer in those country's than here in the UK that may explain the reason for many to congregate in open spaces.

The french bridge is probably a good place to feel some breeze during the summer months but here in England the weather is not as predictable as the continent, which is why pubs evolved so well, they are our communal spaces, where once upon a time you would eat there as well as drink and some pubs have theatre activities above etc.....
It is a cultural issue....open spaces in many areas tend to be taken over by winos, and I would not to take my kids to an open space full of winos....nobody moves them on..once upon a time the park keeper would but who does so now ??? BUT communal areas are very important to the longevity and creation of a community.....cafe spilling onto the outside is great, but do you know how much LBTH charges for chairs and table to be placed outside your venue??? on a weekly basis.... try £80.00 per..PER chair and £120.00 per table...a table and x4 chairs has just cost that proprietor £440.00 almost £500.00 quid that you need to ensure you get back, multiply that by say x4, you've just added another another £2K per week......

Legislation should help out
 
#30 ·
The Netherlands has an identical climate virtually to the UK; it's windy, overcast, mild and prone to unpredictable drizzle. Plenty of people eat and drink outside because there is the opportunity to do so. The northern third of France is probably around 1c warmer than Southern England, it's hardly a huge leap (in fact London is warmer and drier during the summer than Lille). Also this idea of 'The Continent' as one thing and the UK another is nonsense, the Dutch are culturally and socially closer to Brits than to Greeks or Spaniards for example. They even mostly live in terracing rather than blocks of flats.
 
#32 ·
The Netherlands has an identical climate virtually to the UK; it's windy, overcast, mild and prone to unpredictable drizzle. Plenty of people eat and drink outside because there is the opportunity to do so. The northern third of France is probably around 1c warmer than Southern England, it's hardly a huge leap (in fact London is warmer and drier during the summer than Lille). Ok I agree with you on this point


Also this idea of 'The Continent' as one thing and the UK another is nonsense, the Dutch are culturally and socially closer to Brits than to Greeks or Spaniards for example. They even mostly live in terracing rather than blocks of flats.
This point I must disagree with you....my dutch friends find it abhorrent to see people so very drunk in public. It is not considered good manners AND their police do move winos on from public spaces.... A traditional dutch family is strict with drink, just like Italian and french families, wine or beer may always be at the table, but you drink it alongside water, it is part of the flavours of a meal not simply as a thirst quencher...
 
#31 ·
One of the things I love most about the Netherlands and Belgium are the public squares and being able to eat outside when the weather is good. It was great eating out in the open in Gent during October!!

Brits are funny when it comes to weather though. Any bit of sunshine and everybody's out in force thinking it's summer. Right now it isn't that warm but I'm seeing people with barely any clothes on outside, while I'm having to wear a jacket because the breeze is still quite cool.
 
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