Monier Road

Since the mid-19^th Century, Fish Island has had a strong industrial presence, with working class terraced houses and factories sitting side by side. But a decline in industry through the 1980s led to a burgeoning creative community, which has provided the area with a new identity; at one point, the area had the densest concentration of artist studios in the UK.

Our solution was to reject the ubiquitous ‘pancake’ commercial spaces found below residential developments, which are often left un-let, and instead spread a variety of uses across the site. The design therefore comprises three buildings, each with its own individual character but together forming a cohesive whole.

A triangular seven-storey apartment building in red brick anchors the site on its eastern edge and reconciles the difference in heights and character between the Fish Island Conservation Area to the south and the new-build residential developments to the north. A two-storey base of creative studio spaces provides further activation at street level, while townhouses and elevated podium gardens maintain a low edge along Beachy Road, responding sympathetically to the adjacent historic piano factory. Terraced four to five storey apartment buildings form a backdrop to the generous, south-facing communal gardens and define a strong street edge along Monier Road.

This mixture of architectural characters and articulated roofscapes (such as the saw-toothed residential facades, which also maximise light inside) echo the language of the local area. And the simple, material palette of three coloured bricks of varying textures contrast with each other when they meet at critical corners and skilfully respond to the area’s mix of historic and new buildings.

To ensure the diverse population continues, 35 per cent of the units offer a mixture of shared ownership and affordable rent tenures. Overall, it is this social mix – of integrated live and work spaces – that responds to the social fabric of Fish Island by establishing a rich mix of living, creative, work and leisure space.

This green space sits on a podium above the townhouses and workspaces and offers precious green space to an otherwise dense urban site. In addition, the site currently has a number of London Plane Trees along its boundary, which is unusual for the area; something that the scheme acknowledges with openings and alignments that allow space for the trees to flourish. The trees along Beachy Road will offer shade and a shelter to residents on the elevated podium gardens. A historic link in the middle of the site has been reinstated, offering improved connectivity for the community and informal spill-out space for the commercial uses.

Mixed-used and densely urban, green and sociable, our hope is that the Monier road development creates a unique space for people to enjoy Fish Island and that it continues a tradition of living and working in the same area that is fundamental to the future success of London.