10 Lower Thames Street
City of London

The Thames is a significant visual attraction and experience for visitors to London - and increasingly for those who work in the City. However, despite many efforts made to provide a publicly accessible route along the river frontage, this is still a disappointing and unattractive experience - particularly along the City sections of the North Bank close to The Tower and Tower Bridge. Here the provision of facilities for visitors is particularly poor - especially when compared with those on the South Bank. 

The proposal seeks to redress this imbalance by creating a series of inclusive and attractively landscaped spaces with river-orientated seating for visitors to dwell and take in the sights in the rare experience of a south-facing ‘pocket park’. These spaces, with the elegant, open-all-year pavilion, will form a winning combination for a new river destination.

The proposal exploits the unique depth of river frontage on the site providing public realm improvements consistent with the City of London Riverside Walk Enhancement Strategy. Existing green spaces are redesigned to draw people to pause and enjoy the Thames, and to encourage biodiversity, enhance the cultural heritage of the City riverside, and mitigate flood risk. It improves the cohesion and vibrancy of the riverside by creating a spacious, accessible and connected pedestrian route with appropriate active frontage. Safety and flood risk awareness also inform the design of the café, its height, level access and fully glazed river-facing elevation. The loss of a small amount of public walkway is mitigated by the substantial improvements to the public realm.