Lower Lea Valley _ Architectural Association 2012

CREATING AN
INDUSTRIAL
URBANITY
LOWER LEA VALLEY

Creating an Industrial Urbanity / Lower Lea Valley Design Workshop Group:
Monica Arzoz Canalizo
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE Devika Deshmukh
GRADUATE SCHOOL PROGRAMME Nathan Foust
Housing and Urbanism 2011 - 2012 Supriya Gandhi
Tutors: Jorge Fiori + Alex Warnock-Smith Pia Lambeth
Published in London on 18 May, 2012 Felipe López Hechem
Sidharth Malik
Juliana Muniz
Sheeba Shetty
Sepehr Zhand.

CONTENTS

Chapter I Prologue 1

Chapter II Cross-Sectional Investigations 15
Greenway 16
Railway 24
Roads 32
Summary 42

Chapter III Adaptive Evolutions 45
Cultivation of the Context 46
Urban Quarters 62
Industrial Requalification 82

Chapter IV Symbiotic Ambitions 103

London Lower Lea Valley : Creating an Industrial Urbanity

2

Chapter I | Prologue

Landschaftspark, Duisburg-Nord, Germany Industrial District of Zurich West, Switzerland
Developing an industrial urbanity is crucial for the industries to survive the pressures of the everchanging context

“It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, neither the Thus an argument emerges to transform the Lower Lea Valley
smartest. It is that which better adapts to change.” Charles Darwin into more than just an industrial sector near the center of
London, to develop an industrial urbanity that supports and
The Lower Lea Valley has the potential to sustain its industrial encourages the coexistence of various types of industries and
quality if an argument is made to integrate it with the urban public integration within the industrial areas that are conducive
character of the region. The aim is to investigate the industries, to such expansion. This transformation not only fosters productive
to structure, develop, and re-qualify them such that they become relationships between the various industries themselves, but also
more productive, not only for their individual gain but also for with the surrounding institutions and neighborhoods. A multi-
the surrounding communities. This requires vast amounts of scalar approach to introduce an industrial urbanity would give
detailed investigations, tests and strategic theories to address the Lower Lea Valley the ability to adapt to the ever-changing context
multitude of layered facets and results in interventions with local and technologies thus giving it a better chance to survive the
and regional impact. development pressures in becoming a mono-functional suburb of
London.
3


Inbound
Outbound
Main Road
Secondary Road

The productive relationships and physical connectivity of the Lower Lea Valley industries to the center of London

The approach of an industry led urbanism for the Lower Lea Valley As you zoom in further and examine the Lower Lea Valley region,
is appropriate for multiple reasons but mainly due the fact that a rather unique infrastructure system emerges. The crosshatch lines
its existing industries have productive relationships with the city of infrastructure like roads, railways, natural and manmade canals
center. Due to its proximity to the city and great infrastructural mostly cut across the valley, creating large urban islands which are
connections, it holds a strong position to service London often disconnected from each other. These kinds of infrastructural
efficiently. Some of these industries have daily communication lines that are keeping the Lower Lea Valley’s vitality alive
with the city, for example the Royal Mail is networking from the regionally are ironically inhibiting it locally through its disjointed
valley while Greencore is collecting waste material from the city connectivity. This has led to uneven developments across the valley
and transporting it back to Lower Lea Valley. These circumstances and has proved to be economically unproductive for its immediate
make it imperative to re-think the intertwining of both urban and context and local communities.
industrial environments.

4


Unique infrastructure system
resulting in disjointed local connectivity and uneven development

5


Current development pressures in the Lower Lea Valley resulting in isolated urban islands
In 1964, the Civic Trust aimed to redevelop the 6,000 acre
green belt in East London for recreational and public use and
reclaim the region from its crude industrial history. The plan
was not implemented due to the replacement of the central LLC
with the Greater London Council which assigned the planning
responsibilities to the Local Boroughs. By doing so, the valley
became divided with different development interests making
approval processes more complicated. Though much of the Valley
became derelict, the remaining industries are now amongst the
pressures of event-led redevelopment opportunities. Critics such
as Edwin Heathcote1 believe that the event-led strategy and its
design has led the Lea Valley’s future as a “covering-up” method
and “masks the massive development…” which has not taken into
account the industrial history and the surrounding communities.

The Lower Lea Valley is at a critical threshold with large
developments such as the Olympic Park and the Olympic Legacy
Project bringing major development pressures to the region.
For example, the High Street has already seen sudden growth
of mono-functional high-rises and the recent entrance of major
private developers such as IKEA and Tesco are creating introverted
and disconnected properties. By recognizing that this type of
development that poses a great threat to the small and medium
sized industries, a stronger argument for an industrial urbanity
emerges.

The Lower Lea Valley needs an overall strategic plan for the larger
region rather than the current piece-meal island developments.
Similar to the Fun Palace Charitable Trust (1964) proposed by
Cedric Price, the Civic Trust, and Abercrombie’s recommendation
to carry out an alternative redevelopment strategy through the
collaborations of the existing industries to improve the productivity
of the Lower Lea Valley, the proposed strategy to implement in this
area integrates similar ideas nearly 50 years later.
Urban development pressures in the Lower Lea Valley. Olympic Legacy Program (1) It’s a Cover-up, by Edwin Heathcote, from the Financial Times [http://www.ft.com/
(Top),Private Developments on High Street (Middle) and Ikea Mixed Use Project (Bottom) cms/s/2/c84abca4-8f9b-11e1-9ab1-00144feab49a.html

7


Conceptual methodology: institutions, infrastructure and industries as drivers for change

To enable the Lower Lea Valley to be successful at the regional
scale and productive for its local context, smaller interventions
within the valley will not be adequately effective without a strong
argument and regional strategy. Institutions, Infrastructure and
Industries were found to be the predominantly relevant elements.
A proposed productive combination of these three elements could
work as a conceptual methodology having the potential to develop
into drivers for change and development in the Lower Lea Valley.

8


Schematic representation of the spatial methodology: points, lines and territories

Furthermore the use of a spatial methodology consisting of points,
lines, and territories helped to investigate and structure the site.
The Lower Lea Valley has many points of interests that have varied
functionalities and unique characteristics. These are sometimes
institutions, industries, parks or iconic developments.

In addition, the valley has many strong lines which are often
infrastructural, manmade, or natural. The combination of these
points and lines produces some interesting territories within which
exists a great potential to develop meaningful synergies between
insitutions, infrastructure and industries, which are established
under an umbrella of a conceptual approach.

9


A further inspection of the Lower Lea Valley reveals many disjointed
pockets of natural and manmade green areas. These highlight the
potential to use landscape as a navigator to alternatively connect and
appropriately divide the varied territories of the Lower Lea Valley.
These large territories have several functions and characteristics,
therefore the landscape becomes an important methodological
tool to develop a secondary infrastructure system. This is more
than just a physical connection or a recreational space for the
community, but a way to engage the context and cultivate specific
conditions to address the many facets of the complex fabric it
sits within. This system also enables new productive relationships
while synthesizing the whole region of Lower Lea Valley.
Gas Works (Top), FatWalk (Middle), and the Lower Lea River Park Project (Bottom)

10


Methodological tool: the potential to use landscape as a navigator

11


To structure the investigation of Lower Lea Valley, the established
concepts and methodologies were used to study the qualities,
complexities, and potentials of the existing territories and to
understand, question, and test the relationship between the local
and regional fabric.

The analysis of the Lower Lea Valley was carried out along three
particular lines of infrastructure – the greenway, the railway line,
and the roads. The lines were specifically chosen as tools of
investigation, as they are completely different from one another in
terms of the speed of movement along them, their porosity and
their physical characteristics. Each of these lines reveal complexities
as they traverse different conditions and circumstances along their
length, thus these lines of infrastructure became interesting tools
to investigate and analyze the Lower Lea Valley and gain an
understanding of the whole region.

12


Borough of Tower Hamlets Borough of Newham

Greenway
Railway
Main Roads
Lower Lea Valley Region

Thames River
13

The
Greenway
The Greenway is a 6km pedestrian path that encloses a major
sewer system which cuts through the urban fabric of east London
from Victoria Park to the Beckton sewage treatment plant. It runs
through a diverse range of land use such as housing, industry,
residual space and institutions that is fractured by major road
and railway infrastructural systems. The Greenway is unique as its
impact on its surrounding context can be investigated at a regional,
local and architectural scale especially as it passes through Lower
Lea Valley.

Greenway has the ability to perform at regional, local and architectural scales


The development of the Olympic Park and the Legacy Project in
the northwest part of the valley has made the Greenway the first
line around which the development pressures have intensified. This
has attracted many private developers resulting in numerous high
rise developments along the high street.

Higher than its surroundings, the structure of the Greenway
encloses sewer lines that support a gradually sloping pathway
giving it physical charecteristics that remain fairly consistant along
its length, maintaining an even surface for pedestrians and cyclists.
However, due to its low accesibility it does not engage or interact
with its immediate surroundings thus making it an underused
mobility path by the locals.

6
5

3 1

2

4

Recent and future urban developments near the Greenway

18

Chapter II | Cross-Sectional Investigations

Greenway Extension
Vulnerable Areas to Development Pressure

1
Mercedes Benz GW Children’s Playground Housing

2
Small Industry GW Pumping Station

3
Hight Street Commerce GW High Street Commerce and Housing

4
Raneleigh School GW Housing

5
Olympic Stadium GW Future Housing

6
Local Industry GW Fatwalk

The Greenway has very low accessibility and does not engage its context

19


The physical characteristics of the Greenway remain
fairly consistant along its length. It maintains an even,
elevated surface for pedestrians and cyclists.

20


The Greenway works as a regional connector but it is
locally disconnected and often impermeable for long
stretches

21


The Greenway is fractured by major infrastructural lines The varied land use around the Greenway

Although the Greenway has good regional connectivity, it is locally
disconnected and often impermeable for long stretches. However
the analysis indicated that it has the potential to create synergies
by providing programmatic or physical links between the various
existing functions. For example institutions to industries and
residential neighborhoods to schools as well as the ability to act
alternatively as a connector and a barrier enables it to cultivate a
differentiated context along its length.

22


Underutilized spaces of the industries along the Greenway Territories vulnerable to development pressures

The various parks and landscaped areas along the Greenway can be
connected such that it can be used not only for recreation but also
as an alternative pedestrian mobility system. At the regional level
the Greenway becomes the first line of defence to the development
pressures from the north of the Lower Lea Valley and at the local
level it synthesizes the territories that are currently isolated. Thus
the imapct of the line of the Greenway expands to affect a much
larger territory.

23


The
Railway
The Hammersmith and City and District railway lines cut across
Lower Lea Valley between Bromley By Bow and West Ham
stations. As they do so, it seperates the territories on either side of
the line resulting in large areas of inaccesible residual space.

Though the two stations are key transport nodes, they are
disconnected from the surrounding fabric.

24


Experiential quality along the railway line

25


Three Mills Film Studio Canal Railway Line Industrial Park
Section through the railway line, Three Mills Studio and an Industrial Park
The space along the railway has very low accessibility thus making
it residual in terms of functionality that often results in neglected
patches of empty fields and abandoned properties. Even the new
developments do not respond to the railway line or the space
along it. The line of the railway expands into a territory that
encompasses the residual space. This territory behaves as a barrier
which not only affects local connectivity but also hinders the
economic productivity of the area.

Canal Residual Spaces Railways Line Residual Spaces Gas Works

Section through the railway line and the residual space along it

26


1 School 4 Bromley by Bow Station 7 Performing Arts Center 10 West Ham Station
2 Community Center 5 Tesco 8 Three Mills 11 Open Grounds
3 Housing 6 Media Training Center 9 Industrial Park 12 Greenway

12

6
7

2
5
8
1 10
4

3
9

11

Immediate context along the railway line and its residual spaces

Derelict buildings and poor pedestrian accesses along the railway and at the stations

27


Bromley by Bow Station Railway Lines

In Lower Lea Valley, the railway line has two important points Though the West Ham station is a new development it suffers from
which are Bromley by Bow and West Ham stations. Though the extreme underutilization and does not engage with the suburb of
back end of the station is oriented towards the neighborhood, the West Ham. This station regionally connects West Ham through
Bromley by Bow station has poor circulation and does not integrate three tube lines to the center of London but it fails to provide any
well into the surrounding residential fabric which makes it difficult sort of physical links to the adjacent territories of Lower Lea Valley.
to navigate to and from the station. It has poor street presence The station’s large infrastructure has the potential to integrate
along A12 which is high-speed road flanked by some underused multi-use functions that could support the local community and
and derelict buildings causing a significant resistance to pedestrians. make links into the residual spaces along the railway line.

Towards Bow Road Bromley by Bow Station Road

Bromley by Bow Station

28


West Ham DLR Station Road West Ham Central Line Station Housing
West Ham Station

29


Bromley by Bow Station Area West Ham Station Area

30


The two railway stations perform poorly at both the architectural
and urban scale. The railway line and its adjacent residual space
behave as an impervious barrier. The line of the railway and the
points of the stations expand into two propositional territories, the
territory of Bromley by Bow and the territory of West Ham station.
The locations of these territories are key in synthesizing the north
and south of Lower Lea Valley.

31


The

Roads
The A12 and the A11 are major high speed infrastructural roads
connecting the Lower Lea Valley and its industries to the center
on London. These roads run along a vast range of programs which
function at different scales making the experiential quality varies
along their length.

32

Poor accesibility to the A11 high speed road and new developments on A12

London Lower Lea Valley : Creating an Industrial Urbanity 1

A11 / High Street

2

Commercial
Housing
Institutional
Offices
Industries

3

The A12 and A11 high street have three distinct characteristics
as they progress from north to south. The high street contains
clusters of various configurations that range from large-scale malls
to small-scale formal and informal commercial activities. Towards
the intersection of the high street with the A12 there are new
developments of mono-functional high rises that have emerged
A12 / Blackwall Tunnel due to the proximity and pressures of the Olympics Park and
Northern Approach
Legacy Project. Further south, the high speed barrier of the A12 is
flanked by industry to the east and social housing to the west with
an extremely weak integration of these two prominent existing
typologies.

34


1 Mixed use activities on northern A11

Commercial
Housing
Institutional
Offices
Industries

2 Predominance of housing and new developments on southern A11

3 Social housing and industrial character on A12

Different characters of the main distribution roads of the Lower Lea Valley

35


36


The A12 and the A11 high street are major high speed
infrastructural roads connecting the Lower Lea Valley
and its industries to the center of London. The A12,
particularly, acts as a major barrier both physically and
psychologically, effectively defining a boundary between
the Lower Lea Valley and Central London.

37


The industries are dependant on the road network

38


The line of the road led to the industrial territory of Lower Lea
Valley. The A12 highway and the industries share a symbiotic
relationship as the industries depend on the road network for
daily transportation to the center of London. An inspection of
the industrial sector reveals that there are four separate industrial
parks, namely Prologis, North Crescent, South Crescent and
Electra that have either public or private ownerships. Each of these Industrial Diversity
parks contain a variety of industries ranging from large to small-
scale which house different programmatic focus. They often have
similar manifestations in the four industrial parks proving that the
parks work individually rather than collaboratively.

Recycling
Office Space
Distribution
Vacant Plot Industrial Parks
Construction & Interior
Small Scale
Service Industry
Food Industry
Chemical

Land Ownership

Industrial Core

39


The analysis led to approaches that were specific towards the These approaches included introducing urban integration into
industrial core of Lower Lea Valley. These formed the basis to specifically chosen industrial areas, the use of voids as drivers
develop a strategy for the requalification and restructuring of the for requalification to maximize the efficient use of space while
industries, not only to introduce an industrial urbanity but also to increasing the productivity, and developing synergies at both the
give the industries a better chance at surviving the development local and regional scales. Lastly a concept to use landscape as a
pressures that endanger them. connecting tool by taking advantage of existing assets will enhance
the integration of the Lower Lea Valley as a whole.

A study of the land ownership patterns in the four industrial parks of Lower Lea Valley

40


Cody road as an urban integrator

Using brown voids to densify and intensify industries

Using landscape as a connector

41


Summary of the Analysis
The Greenway works as a regional connector but is
locally ineffective and disconnected from its immediate
context.
The Railway is an impenetrable barrier with residual
space along it, and the two stations of Bromley by Bow
and West Ham do not perform effectively.
The A11 and A12 high speed Roads have three distinct
characters and they are crucial for the industries of the
Lower Lea Valley.

42


Identifying the Potentials

The Greenway has the ability to behave as a porous
line of defense from the development pressures of the
north, alternatively connecting or separating the various
institutions, housing and industries that are situated
along its length.
The Greenway can use landscape to expand into a
network of secondary infrastructure to synthesize the
various territories existing in the Lower Lea Valley.

The Bromley by Bow station may behave as a hub of
dispersal and can create a network to navigate from the
neighborhood through a new urban quarter into the
Lower Lea Valley.
The West Ham station has the ability to develop into
a new town center which links the north and south
territories of the valley across the railway line.

There is a potential to requalify the industrial territory to
spark synergies between the various industries and also
with the local context by developing new typologies of
industries that relate to the roads and canals
Developing an industrial urbanity with layers of
accessibilities to integrate the industrial and urban
environments to create a productive ecology for the
entire region of Lower Lea Valley

43

Cultivating
a
Context
The potential of developing the Greenway line into a territory
As part of the proposal for Lower Lea Valley, we exploited the
Greenway’s potential to articulate the surrounding territories by
providing physical links and setting up barriers where they are
desirable. Thus cultivating a context to transform the line into
a territory which is effective at both the local and regional scale.


Investigation of the local context along the Greenway

Proposed accessibilities and the connection to the Olympic circuit on the north and to the Fatwalk in the south

48

Chapter III | Adaptive Evolutions

Because of its location and length,
the Greenway has the potential to mark the ground around it
setting a direction for future developments by selectively opening up where necessary

Proposed articulation by the Greenway to respond to the context
49


The unique quality of the Greenway is its ability to perform both The proposal for the Greenway has been illustrated as a layered
as a barrier to development pressures as well as become both series of strategies that together have the ability to transform the
permeable and impervious as desired, thus providing a richer urban line of the Greenway into a productive and well connected territory.
experience along its length. The analysis of the Greenway revealed These three strategies are the articulation of the context through
that it worked as a connector at the regional scale but had low landscape, an industrial requalification and a new institutional
accessibility at the local scale making it passive and underutilized. cluster.
A further inspection of the immediate context of the Greenway as
it cuts across the Lower Lea Valley indicated that there were many
institutions, housing neighborhoods and industries that could be
connected via the Greenway to enhance their performance and
to enrich the quality of life for the surrounding residents. Thus
the proposal for the Greenway entailed the identification of these
along its path and proposing various physical and programmatic
links that could spark synergies between them.

Industry Requalification
Institutional Cluster

Intervention
Collateral Requalification
Existing
Greenway
Landscape

50


Articulation of the Context


Institutional Cluster

Proposed layered strategies for the Greenway

51


6
5
3
1

2

4

Strategy one: Articulation of the context

The first strategy aims to articulate the relationship of the Greenway big functions like small-scale commercial activities, temporary
to its surrounding context through landscape as it expands and structures, seating, gathering spaces, pedestrian and cycling paths,
penetrates into different territories to create a new public realm. By cycle stands, stepped infrastructure, and plazas, this strategy aims
increasing the accessibility to the Greenway, adapting its physical to enhance the experiential quality of the Greenway as well as
morphology and with the addition of a multitude of small and sustain a constant flow of pedestrian movement.

52


1
Institutional Cluster GW Children’s Playground Housing

2
Small Industry GW Pumping Station

3
Hight Street Commerce GW High Street Commerce and Housing

4
Raneleigh School Public Esplanade GW Housing

5
Olympic Stadium Olympic Park GW Future Housing

6
Local Industry GW Fatwalk
Adapting the physical morphology of the Greenway to its local context

The Greenways new elastic and malleable nature does much more development but also fosters synergistic relationships between the
than create a new public realm: it starts to engage the various existing programs. This nature of the Greenway allows it to be
institutions, housing settlements and industries that are located used to not only create physical links but also to act as a separator
along it and cultivates a context that not only directs future of the changing context that it is situated in.

53


The Greenway has the potential to cultivate a context

Local level: Greenway expanding and blending an educational institution with surrounding residential areas

Regional level: Connecting the Greenway to the territories in the south of the valley via the Fatwalk

54


Physical Links
Programmatic Links

Developing a territory by making physical and programmatic links

The performance of the Greenway at the regional scale is enhanced
by connecting it to the Olympic circuit on the north and to the
Fatwalk in the south. This becomes a key piece of pedestrian
infrastructure that along with the parks and landscaped areas
creates a secondary mobility network that assimilates the Lower
Lea Valley.

55


Strategy two: Industrial requalification
The second strategy for the Greenway consisted of analyzing the A strategy to develop a conceptual mix of functions ranging
various industries within its territory and identifying within them from small-scale industries, housing, commercial and recreational
the possibility of urban integration. The industries in this area activities could generate a new urban industrial typology. This
are segregated from the other urban functions but a potential for entails developing a hierarchy of movement patterns wherein the
them to coexist was recognized. For the industries along the A12 distribution of manufactured goods is carried out by road and rail
road, a typology that responds to the road and encourages public and pedestrian activities from the greenway and along the canal
interaction was suggested. Furthermore, one industrial territory begin to characterize a different mobility pattern on the industrial
was identified for further research and development as it had site. The stacking of commercial and small scale industries with
unique charecteristics. It is isolated from the other territories by affordable housing can create new synergies and opportunities
a railway line a canal and its only points of connection with the for the development of a more economically vital area as well as
surrounding territories were a service road and the Greenway. propose a new typology for an urban industrial quarter.

56


Industrial Area along
the Greenway

Accesible Pedestrian Path

Primary Vehicular Route
Distribution Spaces

Shared Ammenities Commercial Space
Commercial Areas Small Scale Industry
Light Industries Office Space
Medium Industry Housing

A new typology for an urban industrial quarter

57


Sport Facilities / Gym / Indoor Courts
Kids’ Playground
Bridge to Greenway Level
Auditorium
Cafeteria / Restaruant
Adaptable Space
Student Housing

Programmatic Bleeding

Strategy three: Institutional cluster with support
infrastructure for the institutions and communities

58


The third strategy for the Greenway explored the possibility of
making physical as well as programmatic links across the territories
of the Greenway. Along the length of the Greenway there are
many educational institutions such as a cluster of primary schools
in the south east area of the Greenway and a series of colleges like
a carpentry school, an architecture school, a technical university as
well as the London East University.

Greenway penetrating into the cluster at different levels

59


Proposed programmatic links between the institutional cluster and the other educational institutions

60


Using the newly proposed malleable nature of the Greenway, it
begins to physically link these institutions through pedestrian
pathways, staircases, ramps and landscape and programmatically
to not only each other but also with relevant industries and
residential neighborhoods.

The proposed site for an architectural intervention along the
Greenway was chosen due to its strategic location - it sits along
the greenway and is flanked by the A11 High Street along which
lie many of the institutions. It is also easily accessible from the
Pudding Mill tube station.

The proposition for this site was to create a support infrastructure as
an extension for the existing and proposed educational institutions
and to introduce a new student community to Lower Lea Valley
by providing student housing. The program includes permanent
infrastructure such as auditoriums, gyms and sports facilities; open
plazas along with commercial activity towards high street and
adaptable temporary infrastructure for markets, exhibitions and
public events. Through this multiple programmatic intervention
this site can serve as a place where the newly introduced student
community interacts with the surrounding communities.

61


Greenway: Cultivating a Context
By increasing the accessibility and adapting its physical
morphology, the Greenway creates a richer experience
at the local scale, cultivating a context and providing
physical as well as programmatic links that spark
synergies between the various industries, institutions and
residential neighbourhoods.
The Greenway behaves as a porous line of defence towards
the development pressures and can set a direction for
future development.
The Greenway, Olympic circuit and Fatwalk along with
the parks and the landscape around it create a pedestrian
infrastructure which becomes a new mobility system that
synthesizes the territories of the Lower Lea Valley.

62


63


Urban
Quarters
Territories around the Railway line

The proposal for the railway line attempts to dilute the strength
of the barrier not only by providing physical links between the
north and south but also by creating territories and new nodal
urban quarters whose impact crosses over the physical limitations
to engage with the various institutions and industries in the valley.

64


Bromley by Bow station West Ham station

West Ham
Town Center

Bromley by Bow
Urban Quarter

65


Bromley by Bow Station as a hub of dispersal

The proposal for Bromley by Bow station stems from the idea
of rethinking the layered concepts of communication through
mobility and redistribution. Its poor functionality lent itself towards
the requalification and development of a new urban quarter. The
railway line, the residual space that flanks it and the station itself
created an opportunity to enhance the new urban quarter by
creating a dynamic relationship with the neighborhood.

66


A B C

D E F

Small scale interventions forming a network for dispersal

G
(A), start up companies (B) and existing housing (c), can coincide with built interventions
within existing parks (D), commercial insertions (E), community gardens (F) and the
highway (G) to enhance the pedestrian movement of the existing fabric

Creating a support network to navigate from the station to the surrounding neighborhood

67


7 8

7
6

4
3
2
1 Bromley by Bow Station
2 Abandoned Building
5 3 Open Air Theatre
4 Indoor Theatre
5 Housing
6 Library
7 Informal Market
8 Tesco

Bromley by Bow Urban Quarter
1

The strategy emphasizes on integrating and maximizing the full
potential of the existing socially productive fabric that surrounds
the station. With the idea of creating a clear definition of allure
towards the existing housing fabric and civic interventions,
rethinking the sequence of spaces from the station as a hub of
dispersal to the destinations of choice was extremely important.

Simple interventions such as extending the canopy of the station
to the street, a more transparent façade with a dominating roofline
that acts as a ribbon of direction to follow, integrating exits at
platform level to the neighborhood go a long way in changing the
experiential quality of the station and its surroundings.

68


New Housing Typology
Family Housing
Collective Space
Studio Apparments
Commercial Spaces

Mixed use typological inserts

The network of navigation from the station through the
neighborhood uses the strategy of small interventions that create
the potential for a more experiential way home. For instance, a
path defined by a differentiated ground plane inserted as a guide
to new or existing destinations begins to produce synergies on a
small scale within the local community, potentially heightening the
quality of the surrounding fabric.

The path of intervention leads to the existing community center, to
start-up companies south of the river, to parks and new community
gardens, and to amenities inserted into the existing housing. One
extension of the nodal path leads you to the derelict space across
the A12 road where the new urban quarter has been proposed.

Studio Appartments
Mixed Use Activities

Open Art Market

Road Reused Abandoned Block Open Air Theatre Indoor Theater

69


East Street Market (left) and Borough Market (right)

The test, based under the umbrella of a layered concept of
communication, developed a set of sequential spaces by taking
advantage of this residual space. While spatializing potential
interactions within a new built environment, it called for the
rethinking of the integration of big-box amenities such as Tesco,
civic interventions like a library and theatres, informal markets,
housing, and the re-use of existing structures. Utilizing the position
of the station and a nodal path to lead into the existing fabric and
into the new urban quarter was an appropriate approach for an
intervention with a deep reaching impact.
New civic elements

Library Informal markets

70


Bromley by Bow Urban Quarter

71


The proposal for the West Ham station encapsulates the transport
hub and the residual space along the railway line to create a new
town center. Currently, the station behaves as a shell of mono-
functional activity. In order to change this, an intensification with
programmatic insertions that service the surrounding residential
neighborhoods were introduced. These include important civic
amenities and commercial activities within the station as well as in
the proposed town square adjacent to it. These activities support
the development of the proposed institutional center which is to be
located in the residual space along the railway line.

The West Ham station is located at the intersection of two railway
lines, isolating and disconnecting the station and the West Ham
neighborhoods from Lower Lea Valley regardless of its close
proximity to the industrial area. As part of the proposal for West
Ham station, a bridge crosses over the north-south railway line to
bring pedestrians from the station to the proposed institutional
center through which they have access not only to the institutions
along the greenway in the north but also to the industrial area of
Lower Lea Valley in the south.

Intensification of West Ham Station

72


The proposed site for the intervention is located at a key position
within the Lower Lea Valley; it has the Greenway to the north
and the industrial core to the south. However, it is cut by the
railway line and is isolated with limited accessibility thus making it
residual in terms of function. This space required restructuring for
it to perform well as part of the new town center of West Ham.
New infrastructure was introduced to physically connect the site by Fractured urban fabric and local disconnection in the residual space along the Railway Line
penetrating under the structure of the elevated railway to create a
link across the railway line to the surrounding territories.

The institutional center is a vocational school that forms the core
of the West Ham town center. It plays the role of an important
institutional link that develops long term synergies with the
existing educational institutions and support infrastructure along
the Greenway through its public realm and also with the industries
by making appropriate vocational training available for the local
communities in an attempt to create relationships at the local scale.

Physical Links from Greenway across the new town center to the industrial heart of the LLV

73


The new town center and vocational school physically connect
to the Greenway and through it to the other educational
institutions that lie along it, sparking synergies between them

Housing

Workshops Greenway
Training Service Office

Conceptual sections through the vocational institute to the Greenway

Yard Vocational School Workshops Services

74


The vocational school makes programmatic links with the
industries in the south making collaborative relationships
thus engaging the local communities

Workshop Workshop
Industry Yard Training Greenway
West Ham Station
Vocational School
Conceptual sections through the vocational institute to the Industries Workshop
Yard

Office + Housing Greenway

75


Configurations of training schools relative to the type of activity using training space, workshops and yard space
76


ine
ay l
Railw

p
sho
Work

es
pac
gS
inin
Tra

d
Yar
An example of a training space, workshop and yard space unit

The vocational school itself consists of training courses for a
range of vocations such as shoe repair, plumbing, electrical works,
masonry, wood work, courier services, mechanical works, bus
driving and heavy machine operating. The school is structured
through units that are made of training space, workshops and
yards for practical training. These are configured within a flexible
framework that fits the requirements for the different vocational
training courses that are offered in the school. The infrastructure of
the vocational school is shared by the various training courses and
it is also made available to the surrounding community.

77


As an extension of the vocational school, a recruitment center is set The recruitment center also provides space for exhibitions,
up within two of the gas work units within the proposed park. The symposiums and seminars that along with the institutions and
vocational school would create a population of skilled professionals support infrastructure around the Greenway introduces a new
that could use the recruitment center to obtain jobs locally community of students to the area. It also provides varied
within the existing industries and regionally. The newly trained infrastructure for the surrounding communities making these
professionals would also be able to set up start-up businesses to industrial territories of the Lower Lea Valley relevant to them
enrich the small-scale industrial character of Lower Lea Valley, through institutional links. These propositional synergies between
which is currently under threat of expulsion from development various institutions and industries, across the territories synthesize
pressures. the valley, as well as create a sustainable urbanity for the region.

4

3
2
2

5
1 Lecture Rooms
2 Exhibition Halls
3 Auditorium
4 Workshops
5 Recruiting Offices

1

Recruitment Center as an extension of the vocational school

Fatwalk Gasworks Park Auditorium Recruiting Center Workshops

78


1 - Greenway
1 2 - Service Workshop
3 - Lea Valley Park
4 - Workshop
5 - Recruiting Center
6 - Yard
7 - Vocational School
8 - Heavy Vehicule Road
9 - West Ham Stration

3
2 9

4

8

5

6

7
An overview for the strategy for the West Ham town center

79


Railway: Urban Quarters
The Bromely by Bow station develops a series of nodal
pathways to navigate from the neighborhood through the
urban quarter into Lower Lea Valley.
The intensification of the West Ham station along with
the proposed vocational school develops into a new town
center.
These urban nodes play a key role in physically and
synergistically connecting the institutions and industries
of the Lower Lea Valley arosss the railway line and to the
surrounding communities.

80


81


Territories along the Roads

In order to secure their position within an urban setting, industries
need to adapt typologically as well as programmatically towards
public integration as well as synergistically respond to both the
local and regional context.

82


83


Separate Access Routes
for Different Users

Invest in The urbanization of industrial environments relies on stimulating
Hybrid Buildings productive relationships between industries and diverse activities
such as, amenities, institutions, commerce, and the communities
themselves. As a part of the overall strategy for the future
development of the Lower Lea Valley, the proposal directs that the
industrial area accept urban integration where possible to create
cohesive urban and industrial environments.
Make the Most
of Existing Assets
The industries of Lower Lea Valley have productive relationships
with the center of London sustained by an effective infrastructural
network. The proposal entails maintaining this productivity at the
regional scale while enhancing the performance of the industries
such that they synergistically integrate with the surrounding
Minimize communities and institutions to create a more productive
Disruption environment at the local scale. The creation of this kind of
industrial urbanity aims to increase the economic vitality of the
historically deprived area of Lower Lea Valley while protecting the
industries from development pressures.

The challenge to develop a successful industrial urbanity is to
Create
Critical Mass create a spatially productive engagement of accessible and
restricted industries. In order to allow differentiated functionalities
to take place in industrial areas, guidelines for spatial organization
stated by Uhahn Architects in the book “Industry in the City”
(2006) have been considered to generate the desired permeability
within the industrial area. Using these guidelines the strategies of
Make Active Uses minimizing disruption, separating access routes for different users,
of Transitional Zones
and Buildings making use of transitional zones between buildings and investing
mixed use buildings were implemented.

84


Spatial strategy for the redistribution of the industries

85


Primary Vehicular Route
Secondary Vehicular Route
Distribution Spaces

Pedestrian Path
Accesible Space

86


Hybrid Industries with Public Interaction
Recycling Related Industry as Community Support
Distribution Industries
Construction Industries
Non- Accesible Industries

Requalification of the industrial area by clustering different types of industries

The strategy to redevelop the Lower Lea Valley industrial core Thus the proposed spatial strategy for the requalification of the
rethinks the concept of the industrial park by providing a industries in the core of Lower Lea Valley entails allowing the
mixed use environment where urban activities may take place. necessary isolation of industries such as chemical, an electricity
Creating a spatial hierarchy for the redistribution of roads and the company, bus repair and mail storage, where constant flux, noise,
locations of the industries to create a degree of accessibility while and life threatening activities may take place. The centrally located
maintaining an efficient organization of vehicular and pedestrian Cody road is given a permeable character to allow for urban
mobility. In doing so, the development lends itself to encourage integration through differential programs. This spatial strategy
buildings with street engagement where desired, and privacy and also allows a range of different industries to collaboratively coexist
isolation where necessary. This strategy produced three different and to typologically respond to the roads and the canal. The
publicly accessible environments: Hybrid industries along the road, industrial core also makes programmatic links with the existing
construction related industries along the canal, and mixed use and proposed institutions as well as responding to the public realm
distribution industries along Cody Road. created by the landscape and the Fatwalk.

87


Road and canal related industries

Recycling Industries and
Mixed Use Industries which
Relate to Local Context

Pedestrian Routes and
Accesible facades
Urbanizing Industrial Sites

Rationalizing vehicular movement
through service facades

Landscape as a connector
to integrate industries with the LLV

Typology for road related industries

88


Roof Roof
The hybrid industries that are proposed to be relocated along the
road are industrial distribution clients like Mitsubishi and Cross
Office Space Office Space
Rail that require to showcase their products. These industries have
the potential for public engagement but are currently located in the Material
Research Office Space
core of the industrial area, isolated from the public. Their shift of Center
location aims to explore the potentials of the interaction between
these industries and the general public for the testing of new
products and public acceptance. Spatially, the ground floors will Research Center
be generous and face the road so the canal can work as a “filter” Office Space Office Space
from road activities to industrial environments. In the lower
levels the showroom spaces are dedicated not only for possible
Product Display Distribution Industry
clients meetings, but exhibitions of products for interaction, Public Testing Product Display
organized talks and debates on related matters. This “hybrid” Center Store Public Testin Center
industry is composed of showroom spaces, stores, research centers, Cafe Restaurant
Store
offices and proper distribution/manufacturing environments. The
new typology attempts to integrate road and canal, housing and
commercial activities with an industrial core in order to strengthen
this relationship with the local community,

Road related industries: Mitsibushi and Crossrail. Hybrid industries with public interaction

Section through Mitsubishi Industry

Section through Crossrail Industry

89


Craft Rooms Workshop Space


Community Center


The existing community recycling center that is situated on this
site focuses on wood and scrap metal collection. Both of these
Community Center directly engage the local Poplar community. To build on these
Craft Rooms
activities a cooperative is proposed that will collect and recycle
Store
waste material. Furthermore the recycled materials will be made
available to the community to craft into useful and art objects.
This activity plays a key role in integrating the community into the
industrial area and increase the productivity of the region.

Community recycling center

90


Recycling related industries and institutions

The Bywaters recycling company is currently located in the
Prologis industrial park and is the most economically productive
industry in the Lower Lea Valley. It is the main recycling center for
paper, wood, glass and metal. Bywaters also recycles construction
materials at a different location in the north of the Valley. The
proposal brings both the Bywaters recycling industries onto the
Prologis site along with an environmental research center. It would
serve as a recycling center not only London but also the surrounding
industries and neighborhoods. This could result in technical,
logistical, and even manufacturing research collaborations.

Bywaters Sustainability Bywaters Bywaters
Wood and Paper Research Center Metal Construction Material

91


Canal related industries - Construction Industries

Construction industries workshop spaces
which strengthen synergies and intensify canal basins

Pedestrian routes and accesible facades
which help urbanize industrial sites and densify activities

Vehicular movement and service facades
to rationalize vehicular movement

Landscape as a connector and canal for
industrial transportation integrating LLV
and rationalizing industrial distribution

Typology for canal related industries

92


The proposal for industries located along the canal is mainly
construction based with proposed public engagement on the
waterfront. This proposal of clustering the existing types of
industries is based upon the need to take advantage of the canal in Office Space
order to minimize disruption to the surrounding environment –
the movement of construction material by water. In order to allow Office Space
public engagement along the canal since this location is a part
of the existing “Lower Lea River Park Project” stores and office Manufacturing
spaces will be introduced on the canal facades, providing not only and Store
alternative workshop areas, but also to create a meaningful local
context along the pedestrian pathway of the ‘Fatwalk’

Construction industries using the canal

93

Lower Lea Valley _ Architectural Association 2012

Lower Lea Valley _ Architectural Association 2012

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