Hammersmith & Fulham Council has granted detailed planning permission for phase four of the King’s Road Park masterplan, a significant milestone in the transformation of a former gasworks site into a vibrant urban neighbourhood.
This phase, spearheaded by St William, a Berkeley Group company, includes the construction of 357 homes and the creation of 1.9 acres of new parkland and public open space.
Designed by the renowned architectural firm Foster + Partners, the development features two slender residential towers, standing at 28 and 38 storeys, alongside a seven-storey podium building. The design emphasizes sustainability and community, integrating communal spaces and a ground-level amenity area that blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.
Giles Robinson, senior partner at Foster + Partners, expressed enthusiasm for the project, highlighting the design’s ability to provide high-quality homes overlooking one of London’s most spectacular new public parks. The collaboration with landscape designers Gillespies has resulted in a design that enhances connections with nature and significantly increases green space at the base of the towers.
Dean Summers, managing director of St William, emphasized the project’s role in brownfield regeneration, transforming a redundant site into a sustainable neighbourhood with around 1,800 private and affordable homes. The development is set to become a cherished part of the community, offering a beautiful park and enhanced connectivity between King’s Road and Imperial Wharf station.
The design strategically reduces the development’s embodied carbon by removing one of the originally planned towers and increasing the floorplate sizes of the remaining buildings. This approach not only meets future fire safety requirements but also improves views and increases daylight in the park by 59 per cent. The towers’ slender vertical design, complemented by terracotta panels, adds depth and responds to the local architectural vernacular.
The new landscape, designed in collaboration with Gillespies, includes a community park, public square, and natural habitats, contributing to a biodiversity net gain of approximately 112 per cent. This ambitious project, developed through engagement with local stakeholders and the council’s planning team, promises to be a transformative addition to the area.
Image Foster + Partners
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