GRID Architects have received unanimous planning approval for 80-100 Gwynne Road in Wandsworth.
The project will bring 88 much-needed new apartments and flexible workspace to an area in transition from predominantly employment uses to a modern, mixed-use, urban quarter.
Working on behalf of Jacho (Battersea) Ltd and spread across an 8-storey building and 20-storey point block, providing private and intermediate flats, GRID’s proposals include 28 affordable homes, which make up over 35 per cent of the total development—including over 90 per cent dual-aspect homes—and generous balconies designed one third bigger than the London Plan standards.
The London Borough of Wandsworth’s planning committee unanimously approved the proposals on Friday, July 18. Labour councillor Paul White added that he was ‘very much in favour’ of the scheme and praised the level of social housing it provides.
The development re-provides 100 per cent of the existing light industrial space on the site within a two-storey podium. This integrates industrial and residential entrances within a series of arched openings, reflecting the local context.
Responding to the demand for flexible employment and community spaces for modern lifestyles allows the new residential accommodation to rise above street level with expansive views and desirable amenities. New employment space will be provided to match the current use, while new homes will be offered where none have existed.
Through landscaping and the contribution of the new architecture, the streetscape will be enhanced and presented as a high-quality pedestrian experience. Corner balconies maintain the slim central form by having open corners but hint at the square-shaped plan.
The grids applied to the building accentuate its slim profile. The upper floor openings relate to the openings at the base.
Inspired by the brick arches along the railway line, which form a bridge across Lombard Road and over the pedestrian route of the Riverside Walk beside Lombard Wharf, the base of the building is a key feature and at the core of delivering a high-quality building. Other influences have been drawn from the broader arches of Cremorne Bridge in decorative iron as it spans across the river in three, alongside the often double-height arched entrances found in Archer House, White House, and Eaton House on the north side of the railway.
As seen in the visualisations, the base of the building has been designed with double-height openings and is treated in a contrasting material to the upper floors. The arched openings are applied to both street elevations to establish a clear visual link between the history of the site and the adjacent railway.
This exciting project will provide valuable employment space and has maximised the number of much-needed new homes on this brownfield site. It is the ninth consecutive consent that GRID has achieved in Wandsworth in the past few years.
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