dRMM’s portal buildings welcome users into the new Silvertown Tunnel

The portal buildings are located in the London Borough of Newham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich, at either end of the Silvertown Tunnel; a new 1.4km twin-lane road tunnel under the River Thames. The northern Silvertown portal in Newham acts as the main services and workspace building for the tunnel operators. The southern portal at Greenwich operates as a secondary back-up facility.

We have developed a shared visual language linked by characterful forms; a simple, high quality material palette while the detailed design of each portal responds to the individual building use and context. The designs minimise the need for foundations, using the tunnel structure to provide support. Both buildings have a strong, architectural presence for what is, on the whole, a below ground addition to London’s landscape. 

The new Boord Street footbridge to the south of the Greenwich portal has been designed by dRMM in collaboration with Arup. Prefabricated offsite, the steel structure is lifted by the colour choice of bright yellow. This is combined with an open mesh treatment to the sides enabling the pedestrians and cyclists to both see out and be visible, thereby avoiding a sense of enclosure. Read more about this project.