THE TANNERY AT RICH INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
A bold mixed-use scheme comprising nearly 100 homes and an arts facility accommodated in a ‘light bar’ held in a brick crust
FOR LONDON SQUARE
Once a centre for the tannery trade which defined Bermondsey in the 19th century, The Tannery at Rich Industrial Estate in London now comprises a community of new homes of mixed tenure, a hub for local and longstanding creative charities Tannery Arts/ Drawing Room and Southwark Studios, and individual artist studios.
Our site sits within a wider 20,000 sqm, mixed-use masterplan for developer London Square by AHMM. Led by the creation of 400 new homes, the developer’s aim is to transform this previously neglected brownfield site into a vibrant and open community. Part new build, part retrofit, this complex plot now holds four separate buildings – Tannery Arts/Drawing Room, The Tannery new build, The Tannery warehouse, the café – and two courtyards.
A WELCOMING NEW ROUTE
The route into the site is given an active frontage by the exhibition and arts uses of the commercial space and display cases which line each side. This forms a welcoming new route and acts as a signifier of the creative uses in the development. The sawtooth roof profile over the exhibition and studio space make their function legible. The flats above mediate the scales of the terrace to Grange Road and the larger existing buildings in the site. The layering of shutters, balconies and glazing to these flats above create a translucent, shaded marker visible from Grange Road.
SHARED SPACE TO BE PROUD OF
The majority of the flats are accessed via a generously-scaled entrance lobby. The geometry of this space is derived from the grids of the commercial space fronting the new route and of the housing above. This space is a grand circulation space to be shared by the residents.
REASONED BY DAYLIGHT
The area to the north of the staircase space would have offered poor aspect and orientation for housing so this common use does not detract from the efficiency of the plan. Daylight comes in from the north and south, with open connection to external spaces. A dramatic stair links the basement through the lobby to the flats above.
THE LIGHT BAR
The focal point of the scheme is a long, cantilevered light bar filled dual aspect homes, sitting at a skew atop a rectangular brick base of additional homes. Encased in a white aluminium screen, the bar is both light in terms of brightness and weight. It is made up of perforated shutters that provide visual and visceral connections to light and air, allowing residents to manually open and shut them. Running north and south, the bar anchors the development to its context and creates social courtyards on both the eastern and western sides.
AN ENLIVENED FAÇADE
The building will typically be seen with a continually changing pattern of open and closed shutters. This enriches and enlivens the façade with signs of habitation. The translucency, depth, and balance of light and shade contrasts with the solidity of the brick. The shutters add to the residents amenity by allowing them to control privacy as well as solar gain, while allowing fresh air and controlled sunlight through their perforated structure.
LOCATION
Southwark, London
SIZE
75,000 sqft
STATUS
Phased completion in 2022, 2023
CLIENT
London Square